Planners maintain a good balance between professionalism and practicality when choosing business attire. It has to look sharp, but since they’re always on the road, it also has to pack well. Once on site, there is no time to use the iron.
Trade associations have responded to the call for comfort and have adjusted their dress codes accordingly. Some industry events now use “comfort” as a dress code, encouraging attendees to still dress in business attire, but in a more relaxed manner. IMEX’s website states: “Most people dress smart casual. We encourage you to wear whatever you feel most comfortable in.
Rich Vallaster, senior director of industry relations and community engagement at A2Z Events, said this new way of dressing frees up planners. “It used to be really hard. The market catered to “customized business meeting room packages,” not the environment that event professionals were in. Next location.
His brand of choice is Bluffworks. “They have suits and blazers, all machine washable and wrinkle-free. It’s easy to dress up for an event and then I can throw it back in the bag without having to go to the dry cleaners. There’s also a variety of no-iron button-down shirts available Choose from, for example, Land’s End’s 100% cotton shirts.
James Bacon, 40-year-old CEO and founder of We Are MEaT, said age affects people’s opinions on what to wear. For Gen Z men, the rulebook is going to be torn up, if it hasn’t already been,” he said. “This is where businesses have to educate their employees, otherwise they will need to accept that they simply don’t want to wear traditional clothing and adapt.”
for women
The game-changer in comfortable business attire for female planners was undoubtedly Chico’s Travelers, launched in 1997. Featuring India Ink, soft slate colors, and of course basic black.
Gloria Nelson, former special events director for the membership association, said she still has events from years ago. “They travel beautifully and retain their color very well. Will not fade, if you can believe that! And they are just ‘roll and go’ with very limited wrinkling.
Other brands featuring stretchy, comfortable business apparel include J. Jill Wearever, Eileen Fisher Travel, Cabi, Betabrand and Coldwater Creek.
Several women who spoke to Skift Meetings expressed relief that they can now wear the comfortable business attire they used to wear when traveling. “It makes our lives so much easier and a lot less stressful when flights are delayed or luggage takes a different route. I can quickly review it and jump right into a meeting,” says Nanci, Proton Therapy Partner Marketing and Patient Planning Gage said. “I work in private equity and healthcare, so our dress codes aren’t always relaxed, but I can easily disguise my athleisure wear as a suit.” Her top picks: Spanx, MM laFleur and Vuori .
Of course, there are still those who prefer to keep their attire more “uniform” when on set. “I admit that I’m a meeting planner and like to have my staff wear some form of uniform. I think it looks classy and the packaging is simple. “On airplanes, I still like to wear something comfortable yet stylish. I Hate it when people look like they just rolled out of bed!
