Alice Trudelle: What led you to become a style coach for businessmen?

Michał Leopolt-Kuropatwiński: After graduating in economics and management I started out as an adviser to CEE producers and retailers who wished to enter Western European markets. My business activities abroad gave me a great opportunity to make observations on business style in different cultures and countries. Upon my return to Poland, I started offering seminars on business style and etiquette. I now give speeches, presentations and workshops on business style both for local and top international consulting and law companies, banks and financial institutions.

I offer seminars and coaching sessions to companies rather than to individuals. Among my clients are top banking and financial institutions, international and Polish law firms and consulting companies. Most of my seminars and workshops are dedicated to sales forces, managers and top executives. For individuals, I have created a blog, where I present my views on elegance as well as plenty of practical tips and tricks.

Regarding mens' and womens' styles in business, the general principles are the same: simplicity and discretion. However, the devil lies in the detail. Female garments have many more combinations and are influenced by fashion to a greater extent, therefore there is much more space left for possible mistakes in businesswoman style.

Can a more fashionable look increase business efficiency?

Style and etiquette matter a lot. I strongly believe that a better control of personal image results in better self-esteem, higher prestige, authority and effectiveness in business relations.

However, no rules can replace personality and professional experience. Business etiquette is all about being natural, relaxed and considerate. On the other hand, it is easier to be natural and relaxed when familiar with the rules and being able to decide whether or not to break them.

I am a great fan of timeless style which has nothing to do with seasonal trends in fashion. During my seminars I deliver the pure know-how regarding the right size, quality, colors and simple ready-to-use methods of matching together all elements of business attire.

How would you compare Polish business style to European or international business style?

Polish businessmen are very keen on self-improvement in business etiquette and I cannot see many differences between them and other Europeans, generally speaking.

With regard to the look, there is still room for improvement. As far as business dress is concerned I would rank Polish businessmen somewhere between Western and Eastern Europeans, but I would rather avoid stereotypes and simplifications.

The major difference in my opinion is the attitude. Poles tend to treat the purchase of good quality business garments as an inevitable expenditure, whereas Western business people tend to consider this as an important investment in their professional career.

What simple advice would you give Polish businessmen to improve their professional style and etiquette?

If I were to mention just one thing, it would be the shoes. According to all image experts, shoes and hair-cut are the basis of personal appearance. From my observations Polish businessmen underestimate the role of shoes in their overall image.

Even the best suit ever will never cover the disqualifying effect of dirty or shabby shoes. My advice: buy less but buy good! A pair of good quality shoes always pays off. They will be of service to the owner for many years, if maintained properly.

Can you give us examples of common style and etiquette gaffes?

I could mention more than ten common mistakes concerning just business cards exchange. One of the most common is to offer your business card to an executive or a higher-ranking individual without asking.

Another area of frequent gaffes is the business lunch. For example, one should remember not to put a cell phone, wallet, keys or any other things on a table. Last but not least, attendees of business conferences who put too much food and mix too many kinds of food on their plates while eating at a buffet.

Regarding clothes, wearing a short-sleeved formal shirt with a tie is considered to be in bad taste. Also, a tie with Donald Duck prints is great for the carnival in Rio de Janeiro but not for the professional look in business. Other mistakes include: too long or too short trousers, suit jackets and sleeves, improper size and shape of a tie knot or inappropriate, usually too dark, shirt color.

The surest way to give a bad impression, however, is to mismatch one’s appearance and professional position or to mismatch one's appearance with a specific business occasion.

Michał Leopolt-Kuropatwiński will be giving a seminar on business style at the French Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Poland (CCIFP) on February 9, 2011. For more information, visit the CCIFP website at http://www.ccifp.pl