Introduction. Most students in the Sixth Form welcome the idea of business dress, rather than wearing School uniform for another two years.

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1 Introduction Most students in the Sixth Form welcome the idea of business dress, rather than wearing School uniform for another two years. It is important that students present themselves smartly for School each day and so, as an aid to maintaining standards of dress, a group of Sixth Form students and staff have put together this guide to help you prepare yourself for business dress in the Sixth Form. PLEASE NOTE: Students who are not suitably dressed when they arrive at School will be asked to return home to dress themselves appropriately. The Business Dress Code offers students the opportunity to consider how they should present themselves in formal situations. Please approach the choice of your clothing in a positive way you want to look smart, you want to present yourself well, you want to make the right impression, you take pride in the way you present yourself - do not approach it from the angle of what can I get away with?. This is not in the spirit of what we are trying to achieve and it lets you and the School down if you do not try to work with the advice that is set out here.

2 If you are unsure about any item, play safe and don t wear it. Then seek advice from smart friends or from teachers such as Mr Jones, Mr Havers, Mrs Thomas or your tutor. It is important to remember that you are also acting as role models for the younger students. Students should be dressed appropriately whenever they are on School premises, including the concourse, and on their way to and from School. Here are a couple of photos of students in their business dress when we first introduced it.

3 General Remember that you should be dressed appropriately for a place of work. What is acceptable in this environment will be very different to the sort of clothing you would wear out socially in the evening, shopping with friends or at the football match. Take a good look at what you plan to wear and consider whether it is really in keeping with the sentiments of the clothing guidelines for Sixth Form students. Hoodies are not considered smart enough for Business Dress and should not be worn around school, even if they are under a jacket. Shoes should be polished. Bright colours? They are fine as long as they are tastefully put together. Make sure trousers are well cut and fit well. The bottoms of the trousers should not be dragging on the floor. Trousers with tight fitting legs are generally not smart enough for School. The same goes for trousers that look like jeans, irrespective of the material or how much they cost. A number of students have bought suits from charity shops in the past for a fraction of the cost of a high street shop. The sales can also be a good way to acquire quality clothing at bargain prices. Popular shops to purchase suitable clothing are Zara, Top Shop, Top Man, Next, Burton and the business sections of River Island, New Look and H & M. Some of these shops will give student discount with ID, so don t forget to ask! Think about how you will keep your clothes clean. If you are worried about this, consider buying clothes that can go in the washing machine, rather than expensive suits that can only be dry cleaned. Many stores now sell suits that can be put in the washing machine. It is generally accepted that choosing what to wear can be more difficult for females than males in a business environment and so much of this booklet is aimed towards female dress. However, we start with the males.

4 Males Belts should be smart. Moccasin shoes and some slip on shoes will be too casual to wear with business dress. If you choose to wear a layer between your shirt and jacket make sure it is appropriate to business dress. A waistcoat or smart v-neck jumper can look fine but a sweatshirt is not in keeping with what is expected.

5 Females Think about the overall look of what you are wearing and not each individual item. It may not be the item of clothing but how you are wearing it that is the problem! It might be easier to buy a suit and then a range of different tops to wear underneath. This has many benefits. It can be very smart, it can ease the agony of trying to decide what to wear each day and it is probably more cost effective than having to buy more than one jacket to go with the range of skirts and trousers you might want to wear. You need something smarter than a t-shirt under your jacket. Think about what the equivalent of a shirt and tie for the boys would be a blouse or a smart jumper. Do not wear strappy tops your shoulders should always be covered. Garments showing below the bottom of your jacket will usually detract from the smartness of your outfit. Wide belts are often added for fashion but in doing so students turn a smart outfit into one which is not really acceptable. Remember that when you sit down tight skirts will ride up your legs. Shorter skirts are likely to be more acceptable if they are worn with dark tights. Look carefully at the length of your skirt and if unsure take advice about the appropriateness of it. The bottom of the skirt should be hemmed. Skirts with wavy hems are not smart enough, and the same goes for ra-ra skirts. The sketches below show some of the types of skirt that are deemed unacceptable.

6 Here is one style of skirt that is definitely not suitable. These skirts are not smart enough for school either. You can also see the chunky belts, which are not necessary, do not enhance the outfit and should be avoided. Think about the shoes you are wearing. Are they appropriate to the outfit? Are they smart enough? Casual boots are not allowed but smart boots, appropriate to your outfit, are. Sandals might be worn in the summer but safety must be a consideration when choosing footwear for school. Shoes without backs and very high heels are definitely not appropriate for the school environment. Tights should not be laddered or holey. Patterned tights can look fine but fishnets are not really suitable. Trousers have been mentioned in the general section. Trousers must be tailored, that is, designed to be worn in a business environment. Trousers that are tight around the ankle will not be smart enough. Half length trousers are not going to be allowed.

7 These trousers are not acceptable for school they are not tailored, the cut is not wide enough in the leg and they look too jean-like. This suit is great and with a simple jumper underneath it the look is very smart. It is not appropriate to show cleavage in School. Teachers do not want to be exposed to views of a pupil s cleavage so make sure that you cover up appropriately remember the view for a standing teacher is different when you sit down!

8 Layering is fashionable but does not always look smart. Lacy tops can look like underwear so you need to be careful what you layer them with. We hope that you have found the guidance in this booklet useful. If you have any questions or wish for further clarification please do not hesitate to ask Mr Jones, Mr Havers, Mrs Thomas or your tutor. Remember, take pride in your appearance. A copy of this booklet can be found on the School website.