Belgium: Business Dress

From ExecutivePlanet.com

Guidelines for business dress

Belgian businessmen behave formally and expect formality in others, so it is advisable to dress conservatively at least for the first meeting.

In common with most continentals, Belgians have a highly developed dress-sense and will immediately assess your level of professional achievement and social standing in the light of your taste and the quality of your clothing.

Men should wear dark woollen suits, white cotton shirts, silk ties, and highly polished leather shoes; simple but elegant suits or dresses are the standard attire for women, perhaps enhanced by suitably discreet jewellery or some other accessory.

You may, however, discover that your Belgian counterparts are more inclined to designer fashion that embraces stylish French or Italian cuts, linen suits, well-tailored blazers, non-white shirts, colourful ties, and even loafers. If this is the case, then you might like to emulate them but you should still ensure that your more 'European' wardrobe is of the highest quality.

Despite the EU's reputation for stuffy bureaucracy, 'Eurocrats' themselves are pretty relaxed and may prefer a jacket and tie, often with the top button discreetly undone, rather than a suit.

The continental conception of 'smart casual' is more smart than casual and is likely to be the product of a shopping trip to the chic Avenue Louise in Brussels; T-shirts, jeans, shorts and sneakers are not 'smart casual.'

When invited to someone's home, you do not have to dress as formally. For example, a man could wear a sports jacket or blazer with a shirt and tie, and flannels or smart chinos; a woman might wear a blouse and trousers.

On the other hand, if you receive an invitation requiring 'formal' dress, this will usually mean full evening wear, i.e. black tie and dinner jacket. This would apply to grander social functions, especially in Brussels.

Belgium has a temperate climate but that does not preclude extremes of temperature for short periods in both summer and winter. It also rains a lot all year round and damp mists can hang over the Flemish canals seemingly for days. It is, therefore, sensible to have a raincoat and/or umbrella on hand in all seasons and even on days that start out clear.

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