Good Grooming

ISLAND ESSENTIALS Good Grooming

Often the business visitor is conspicuous for being overdressed — as in dark wool suit in the sweltering summer sun. A lightweight suit will more or less blend in here. Better still, a blue blazer and khaki trousers. Worn with a white or blue shirt and tie, this outfit is perfectly acceptable for work as well as socialising.

Yes, Bermuda shorts really are normal business attire on the island. They are cool, comfortable and the defining element of what might be called the ‘Bermuda look’. But it is important to get the details correct. The shorts must be worn with a blue blazer (not your suit jacket), knee socks and loafers.

Pink is a man’s colour here, to the point that business types consider it a perfectly respectable hue for shorts, socks and shirts.

Well dressed will impress

Women will find Bermuda is more formal than the Caribbean, on par with major North American cities. Most business types here are not big fans of the dress-down trend. So if you want to make the best impression, stick to a classic, traditional wardrobe.

Evenings demand even more formal attire. “It doesn’t mean you have to dress like your granny,” a senior female executive counsels, “but too much cleavage or make-up, and they won’t be listening to what you are trying to sell.” Opt for lightweight linen or cotton (not silk) suits or dresses with a jacket for meetings in the hot, sticky summers (May through October). No stockings are required. Wear open-toed shoes, but not summer sandals. In winter, a light raincoat would be useful.