British Inquiry
 

Greetings folks. I will be on travel for business to Dallas, Texas. Could I trouble someone here to help me figure out what appropriate business attire is in Dallas? I'm in electronic components, our business dress is a bit stiffer than in the States and I'll be visiting a telecom. I don't want to stick out like a sore thumb! Many thanks, all the best.

Casual wear. Open necked shirt, informal trousers. Certainly no jacket and tie.

So long as you're wearing nice slacks (black/khaki) and a nice shirt (oxford/whatever) - (jacket/blazer better, but optional), you'll do just fine. All in all, personality, presentation, and knowledge are WAY more important than what you're wearing. If you're well-spoken AND know what you're talking about, no one is likely to even notice what you're wearing.

Ian, you don't say if the office you're visiting is that of a potential or existing client, but I would suggest, with all due respect,that Mark is living in a dreamworld. When I did consulting work in Dallas, mostly in the insurance industry, I and my colleagues wore standard business dress, i.e. business suits or slacks and blazer and ties for the men, and, well, the female equivalent of that for the women, and our clients were dressed in the same style. True, the telecom industry may hold to a different standard, but I would still dress professionally, as I think it behooves visitors to dress more formally, to show respect, than the drones do. At the very least, wear a blazer, as you can always take it off and stash it. But I would suggest your normal professional attire for the first day, and then perhaps you can adjust your wardrobe on subsequent days, ditching the tie, say. (Is there anyone at the office you're visiting whom you could ask? But that might be awkward...)<BR>The most notable thing about Dallas business attire for me was that men will wear cowboy boots with business suits, a look that really works for them!

and keep plenty of pecan rolls in your pockets at all time,s hand them out on the streets.

Ian, E. is correct. My husband is Senior VP of Sales for a creative company (internet marketing and imaging), and dresses casually in the office, but when he is visiting a potential client, he still puts on a suit and tie, as does the whole creative team, who might otherwise show up in their own office in a tie-dyed t-shirt. Never assume the people you are visiting have a casual dress code, or even if they do, that they don't want you to show them some respect by dressing appropriately. I think the safe bet is to wear a suit, at least on the initial visit, and then relax your attire on subsequent visits if their office is casual.<BR><BR>I even know of some execs who will write you off as a potential person to do business with if you don't dress professionally on the initial call. Better safe than sorry.