For the majority, working life means having to go into the office on a daily basis. This also means having to dress in clothing formal enough for the office environment. This includes plus-sized people who have to wear plus size business attire.

Along with the fashion trend, there are different types of office wear practices nowadays. The formality and type of office wear depends heavily on the field you work in and your office culture.

Plus Size Business Formal

This is the most formal type of office wear and is usually reserved for professional fields such as multinational companies, law firms and the like.

For men, a collared buttoned-up white shirt is expected to be worn with a tie and a plain dark coat. Three-piece suits are also acceptable for business formal. These suits should be in neutral or dark tones, like navy blue or black. Bright colours are usually avoided, with the exception of ties that allows vibrant colours like red and light blue. However, do make sure that the ties are of a single colour without patterns.

On the other hand, women usually wear suits, either with a pencil skirt or slacks. Pairing your clean and pressed shirts with an equally formal knee-length or ankle-length skirts helps you in maintaining a business formal image. Not to forget, a pair of closed toed shoes is the finishing touch on your outfit.

Plus Size Business Standard

 This style is a one step down from business formal. A dress shirt is a must for both men and women. However, it is not necessary to be a white one. In this sense, business standard attire is more lenient on patterns and colours. Neutral, dark and earthy colours like maroon, navy blue and dark green are acceptable for your shirts. Some of these shirts from PLATINUM will do the trick. 

For a big guy, you can style your outfit with a patterned tie but always keep the colour selection conservative. When picking slacks, you may choose lighter colours like grey or khaki but remember to avoid pleats whenever possible. Whereas, curvy ladies are encouraged to pair your top with a jacket in traditional neutral colours like brown, black, or navy, to appear neat. 

In Malaysia, both men and women are allowed to wear traditional attire to some offices, such as baju kurung, baju Melayu and kurtas. This is considered as an acceptable office wear.

Plus Size Business Casual 

For the smart casual dress code, men and women are allowed to wear shirts, leaving the top button undone. Short sleeved shirts are also acceptable, and look nicer buttoned up. There’s no need for ties, but covered shoes are still required.  

Women are also allowed to wear blouses of various colours, and pair them with pants or a skirt. You can also be bolder and go for prints and patterns, especially for women, like this blouse from Herway.

For the smart casual dress code, both men and women can wear brighter colours and don’t have to stick with dark or neutral tones. This means that men can wear pants that are lighter khaki or olive green in colour. 

Plus Size Smart Casual 

Many offices are now adopting one day a week where everyone is allowed to ‘dress down’ and relax. The meaning of ‘casual’ varies from one office to another. However, in general, most offices allow both men and women to wear T-shirts and jeans. 

In some places, collared T-shirts or polo T-shirts are preferable so you can wear one of these with either slacks or jeans. Unless specified, try to stay away from round neck T-shirts. Women can also wear one piece dresses, but try to avoid sleeveless tops or wear a sweater, shawl or cardigan over it. 

Conclusion

Knowing the different levels of plus size business attire will help you make choices more easily, and build your wardrobe from there. Discover a business attire tailored to your taste now at Butik BOS. A versatile range of workwear for both large size men and women are just one click away!