Avirate launches work wear

Avirate, the first premium women’s clothing brand in Sri Lanka officially launched its work wear collection on 1 January 2013. The retailer recognises that women are playing an increasingly important role in the Sri Lankan economy and are the backbone of several of the most economically important sectors of the country. Further to that, they realise the demands of the fashion conscious working woman and is proud to present a collection that is both official and trendy.

To talk about the importance of dressing formally and how it impacts productivity and one’s overall image, Avirate has identified a couple of distinguished and imminent business women who are also commended for their sense of fashion.

Our first Star@Work is Dr. Hasanthi

Q: Hasanthi, tell us what you do?

A: I’m a doctor, a general practitioner working at a leading hospital chain. I head a section called the lifeline health screening center and work as the head of department.

Q: Can you describe your work environment and how people are generally attired?

A: In my department I come across a cross section of people. My clients who come in for health checks, some are very well dressed some are not, so it differs on a client by client basis.

If you take the hospital environment, then it’s basically hospital attire. The doctors would wear their coat and the other staff members would be in various clothing.

Q: Working in one of the most respected professions, what is your opinion on people being professionally attired to work? How much of an impact does it make on your first impression of people?

A: I feel it makes a big impact because if you take a doctor, it is imperative that you are dressed well. You have to represent your profession. Being a doctor in Sri Lanka, the expectation is that you wear a saree or something similar. But if not a saree then you have to compensate by dressing well, because others need to respect you. Also, it has to blend with the hospital environment, the attire cannot be over the top and you cannot wear revealing clothes. I feel as long as it is trendy and makes your smart, that’s what you should choose to wear. You can always represent any profession that way because you will look the part and people will look up to you.

Q: I’m sure at your hospital the ladies who don’t wear saree still dress well…

A: There are some who do and some who don’t. In fact you wouldn’t recognise some of them to be a doctor. What I feel is if they don’t wear a saree they have to be formally dressed, not in casual clothes. You have to identify yourself as a doctor and stay away from dressing shabbily. I am an example of someone who hardly wears saree because I like to dress trendily, at the same time dress respectably. I do not wear short or revealing dresses as I do not want people to have a wrong impression of me inside a hospital, therefore I make it a point to dress accordingly.

Q: I’m sure length and style wise you find Avirate very useful…

A: I usually purchase knee length dresses and most dresses at Avirate are knee length so I have no problem finding something suitable for me here.  Most of what I buy here I wear to the hospital, and I find that a lot of people appreciate me. I’m always questioned ‘where do you buy your dresses from?’, and I keep telling them I buy mostly from Avirate. Through habit, as soon as they see me they ask ‘Is it an Avirate dress?’ Even today a lady commented, I haven’t seen you wear this dress before, is it from Avirate?

I’m very happy a shop like this exists in Sri Lanka because earlier I found it difficult to find clothes for me. I use to only purchase from abroad.Whenever I use to travel I take the opportunity to purchase my clothes, but now I get most of them from here.

Q: With regard to necklines, do you find that we have a variety to offer considering your formal dressing style to work?    

A: Yes you get a variety in your shop – square and round necklines like the dress I’m wearing now.

Q: What is your first impression of someone who is dressed well for an interview? How would your opinion be influenced?

A: If a person is dressed accordingly to an interview I would feel more confident in that person as it shows their character and even their capabilities – I would think highly of them.

Q: Do you feel that dressing smart has helped in your career in any sort of way?

A: Yes, definitely. People look up to me, appreciate me and they like to see me because I dress nicely.

Q: Please describe your ideal outfit to work

A: My ideal outfit would be a dress – not with frills, it would be figure hugging and shapely. Maybe a round neck.  It could have sleeves or no sleeves, wouldn’t matter. I love block prints and colour blocks – this would actually be an ideal dress for the workplace. I am really excited about Avirate work wear!

Q: From what you have seen, what’s your opinion on our formal wear?

A: I was actually telling Sarinda how I want to see more work wear. Whenever I walk in to your stores I always say I’m looking for work wear and all the girls know it too! Up to now I have managed to locate so many pieces but I keep saying please launch a range for work, so I’m really happy my wishes have come true.

Q: How do you feel about someone we want to feature for our Stars@Work?

A: I am thrilled and really honoured!

Our second Star@Work is Suzanne

Q: Tell us what you do Suzanne?

A: I’m a director at my father’s company, a holiday resort, and I’m hoping to take over as CEO in two years. At the moment I’m working and studying for my Bachelor’s degree.

Q: How long have you been working with your father?

A: For about one and a half years now, the company is quite new.

Q: How old are you if you don’t mind me asking?

A: I’m 23 turning 24 in two months but I don’t feel young at all!

Q: Is it the responsibility?

A: I think it’s being independent. I use to be a flight stewardess as well. When I was 18 I left home to go overseas and worked there for three years. Now I live alone without my parents and because I am independent in so many ways I don’t really feel young.

Q: What’s your role in your father’s company and how do you contribute?

A: I overlook all operations and give critical feedback, and complain!

Q: Can you describe your work environment and how people are generally attired?

A: It’s a relaxed working environment and everyone is casually dressed except for the top management.

Q: I’m sure your father has a certain expectation of how you dress…

A: As the future CEO I’m expected to wear official clothing like pencil skirts with silk shirts.

Q: How much importance would you place on dressing well to work?

A: It’s the first impression, for anyone, so it’s very important! For whoever sees you on the road, for whoever you meet how you are dressed is how they judge you. You hardly know a person, but when you look at them you think that’s how you want to be. Every day, I have to be ready for college at 8:30 a.m., but I wake up at 5:30 a.m. just to do my hair perfectly, because if not I feel incomplete. I want to dress perfectly; I want to go out of the door humming that song, ‘My Name is Kerry’! I want to feel 10 out of 10 and nothing less than that. Maybe I’m really not, but I want to feel that way about myself and look good.

Q: If you were to hire someone, on a scale of 1 to 10 where would you place dressing well?

A: A nine because it says a lot about the person. If you dress flimsily it shows that you don’t care about yourself. If you can’t care about yourself how you can care about anything else, and it means you can’t give a 100% to anything else! You have to care about what people think of you. You need to give the best for yourself because it directly impacts your output at work.

Q: From your airline experience and being trained at an executive level at your present job, how has dressing smart helped for you? Any source of influence?

A: As a flight stewardess we had to go to the washroom every 30 minutes to check on our makeup. It couldn’t be runny, you had to have your lipstick on, attire had to be impeccably worn, and hair had to be perfectly in place. It was a big influence but it was not what got me into dressing well. I can still remember, I was just four years old, I was going out somewhere with my dad and I was wearing a really baggy skirt and a big t-shirt. My dad looked at me and asked ‘what are you wearing’? I said I’m wearing what I found. He said dressing like that is unacceptable and that I have to dress my best at all times. ‘You have to make people see you in a really nice way,’ he added. That really stuck with me and it’s what makes me dress well now at the executive level.  Even at such a young age people respect me because of how I present myself. So yes, dressing smart has definitely helped me at this stage of my career.

Q: Describe your perfect outfit for us…

A: A pencil skirt, one just above the knee and a nice shirt with a blazer. And if I had long hair, a pony tail. And really high heels.

Q: What do you think of our work wear pieces?

A: I like them a lot. I have been coming here ever since Avirate’s inception. Never stopped shopping and I have never been disappointed.

Q: How do you feel about someone we want to feature for our Stars@Work?

A: I’m really flattered!