Come holidays and most corporate houses and offices plan rejuvenating getaways or picnics for their employees and associates. This offers a good opportunity to you to get to know your colleagues better. You can let your hair down and be yourself. At the same time, what you must remember is that it is a corporate event/picnic, so you still need to be careful of the impression which you image creates.

For the women, the acceptable items of clothing include shorts (but not hot pants), sandals and tees without stark messages on them. For men, they can sport chinos, knee length shorts, tees and Capri-pants/Bermuda-shorts. You must also keep in mind the destination or the picnic spot before deciding what casual wear you want to sport for the occasion.

Also, this one is for the ladies, please do dress practical for a picnic. Women do love wedges and heels but they are certainly not meant for a day outdoors for a picnic. Look your feminine self, chic and demure but at the same time, do remember, you need to be comfortable with what you are wearing to be able to enjoy your day outdoors. If the picnic is on the beach, how about a sundress which does not bare too much or a pair of knee length shorts with a nice bandana or straw hat to match? Well, there is no dearth of ideas for you.

Men, look macho and flaunt the biceps if you have them, but do avoid very tight tee shirts as they would make you appear less of a hunk and more of a ‘wannabe’. Dress smart and comfortable and have fun since all work and no play make all Jacks and Jills pretty dull!

Dressing up the right way for a party is not just limited to women; even men worry about how to look right for a party, especially when it comes to choosing the right attire for office parties. If it is a very formal office-do, then a suit is what most men would prefer. If they are going to interact with clients and have to represent their organization on a senior level, they have to take efforts to look their part and cannot afford to look casual. If you are one such person, who has to attend a formal office party, then you can wear a summer jacket or a suit with a tie. You can even do without a tie on some occasion but you must take all efforts to coordinate your accessories with your apparel.

But, if the office party does not require a formal or severe dress code, men can even afford to dress up in comfortable business casuals. Many men prefer wearing a linen suit if the party is being organized in the daytime. Some offices throw parties to allow their employees to interact with each other and this is when you can let your hair down and dress even in jeans and tees. The key lies in not going overboard and sporting tee-shirts which carry messages on them. Though, the safe bet for young men is to experiment with light party shirts, sports jackets, khakis, chinos or flat-front cotton trousers. They can wear half-sleeve shirts without ties and can also accessorize this with sneakers, sport shoes or open toed sandals.

Whatever you wear, you must remember that you cannot attend an office party dressed wild and funky even if you are used to do so with your friends. It is the decorum and impression which you make which will affect your professional life.

We know by now the basic rules we must play by when it comes to dressing up for work and office. There are ample choices in the realm of business apparels or corporate wear. Another sensitive issue which requires attention and cannot be ignored is what to wear to office parties. It is important to attend these parties as though it involves social interaction, it is for the sake of your business and professional life. Also, you are invited to a party which would involve your office colleagues, superiors and sometimes even clients. So, the impression you create is very important. A small slip here and it can act as a catalyst in affecting your professional image negatively.

So when it comes to party apparels which are right to be worn at office parties you must abide by certain rules. You must not wear clothes which you would generally wear when partying with close friends. The clothes you wear to your office party should not be vibrantly colorful and when it comes to colors- black, brown and dark blues are the safest.

Sporting smart casuals which do not reveal much and at the same time do not make you appear uptight and severe are the right options. You should not wear overtly expensive clothes as they might create a wrong impression. Also, if it your boss who is throwing the party, you must take care not to appear more dressy than him/her. You should look relaxed but not too flashy. The safe bet for women is hemlines which are not too short and tunics or blouses which do not reveal more than they conceal. For men, they should avoid tees with weird and outrageous messages on them and should stick to jeans or casual trousers.