British Business Dress Code

Traditional dark grey and dark blue suits are less in evidence than in the past – except for sectors such as the law, banking and finance.

If suits are worn white, blue or pink shirts and reasonably sober ties are typical. In the more senior circles in the City, men will often wear cufflinks.

Women in management positions often mirror male attire in so far as dark suits and blouses are worn – with little in the way of more flamboyant accessories being seen.

There has, however, been a recent move away from this sober, formal appearance and many organisations have introduced a dress down policy which allows employees to wear smart casual, as long as there are no clients to be met on that day. Smart casual is difficult to describe but still tends to be on the conservative side.

The climate in the UK can be very rainy, so it is always a good idea to carry a raincoat and/or an umbrella when visiting.

Author

This country-specific business culture profile was written by Keith Warburton who is the founder of the cultural awareness training consultancy Global Business Culture. 

Global Business culture is a leading training provider in the fields of cross-cultural communication and global virtual team working.  We provide training to global corporations in live classroom-based formats, through webinars and also through our cultural awareness digital learning hub, Global Business Compass.

This World Business Culture profile is designed as an introduction to business culture in Great Britain only and a more detailed understanding needs a more in-depth exploration which we can provide through our training and consultancy services.