What To Wear To A Business Awards Function

The dress code for a business awards function will vary quite a lot from event to event. Information about the appropriate dress code will generally be given up front via the invitation, or on the award programs marketing materials i.e. invites and website.

Even with a dress code however, it is sometimes hard to know ‘what to wear’. Here’s some tips based on my own experiences of attending a wide variety of business award functions with a wide variety of dress codes.

1. Lunch time functions

If the event is being held around lunch time, one is generally presumed to go to work in the morning. But girls, you’d be forgiven if in reality you booked in for hair and make-up in the morning, with full warning to both parties to not go ‘over the top’. You’d want something that looks ‘natural’ and not ‘too done up’ in this case. A cocktail dress with a dressy blazer over top should do the trick. In that way if you have a good result and party into the night, it’s off with the blazer!

2. Evening wear

This is an interesting one too because of course there is ‘evening wear’ and then full blown ball attire. My experience of these functions is that you’ll get a mixture. The young ones, or those from the smaller centres will generally go for cocktail dresses or something less dressy, while the girls who like any excuse to bling up will turn up as veritable Cinderellas. Something halfway is probably advisable. Classical black is always a winner (though never wear it if you are dead tired). Find something that suits your body shape and makes you feel fabulous.

3. Business wear

Ah this is the most interesting one of all. Business wear. Now we all know that what you would normally wear for ‘business’ and what you would wear to a business award function as business wear are two completely different things. Here’s how I’ve chartered this strange territory: on one occasion I wore a white suit, with black shirt, and blinged it up with some nice silver jewellery. I had my hair curled to complete the look and wore it down. On another occasion I wore black pants, a black blazer with black satin lapels and a sequin top for an evening function so somewhat business wear meets evening wear.