When we think of college, thoughts of cramming sessions for finals accompanied with triple shots of espresso and half-eaten bags of gummy worms might come to mind. Or, for some of us, memories of late-night “Guitar Hero” marathons, sucker-punching friends on Facebook and trying not to get arrested might ring a bell. Reality check: We’re in college to get a job. When we graduate, it is our chance to make an impression on employers. There will come a time when you represent more to a company than what is on paper. Whether you’re ready to admit it to yourself or not, employers are judging your every move: your presence, how well you speak, your handshake and, most importantly, what you’re wearing.
Luckily, there is a group of stylish students, aka the SMU Retail Club, who are dedicated to keeping up with trends and providing information for students interested in pursuing a career in fashion or retail. Last Wednesday, the Retail Club hosted its third annual Business Savvy Couture Fashion Show to advise students on how to dress fashionably in a professional environment. Amanda Sterett of the Dallas Fashionistas made an appearance as well as guest speaker and fashion writer for F!D Luxe, David Ninh, entertained the audience with advice and commentary on the various looks.
The show featured Spring collection looks from Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Culwell & Son, Harold’s, K & G, The Shak at Stanley Korshak and Tory Burch. To my surprise, the lineup was quite impressive considering my misconception of business attire as masculine suits limited to pinstripes, navy and black. Bright colors, metallics, frills and sass accented the women’s looks to add spunk to classic clean lines and basics. The men’s looks didn’t stray too far away from traditional styles, but you can’t blame them; men just have less to work with – tie, no tie; jacket, no jacket; classic white, color; collar up, collar down (hopefully always collar down). You get the point. However, the addition of pastel button-downs and bold ties to the mix gave the men’s looks a little oomph and presence on the style radar.
Aside from being on target with current trends, the fashion show was very informative, and emphasized the importance of not getting too carried away with the trends – save your wild side for happy hour – as well as dressing to fit your audience, avoiding anything distracting or revealing and always, ALWAYS, topping it off with a clean, unscuffed pair of professional-looking shoes. Need inspiration? Check out these business casual, interview, executive and night looks straight from the SMU runway to get you that double-take – and that second interview.
