Of lounge suites and taillers
The story I would like to tell may seem trivial, but I think it is a good example of the challenges in working in the global marketplace.
Two weeks ago I was the keynote speaker for IABC Caribbean’s Pioneer Awards. Because it was a special event and I knew I would be in many pictures, not to mention on the dais, I wanted to dress appropriately.
So, I wrote to my host to ask about what to wear. She replied, “between formal and black tie.” Hmm. I thought black tie WAS formal. So I wrote again. This time she described the dress as “lounge suite.” Well, that conjured up a vision of a polyester leisure suit, and I had a strong belief that that would not be the thing to wear. So, I surveyed the women in the office. They offered their theories, but one resourceful staffer, googled “lounge suite” to discover that it means a cocktail dress. Problem solved.
Tomorrow morning I leave for Brazil. On Tuesday, I will go to the 40th anniversary party for ABERJE, a Brazilian Public Relations Association. I am not the keynote speaker, but I certainly don’t want to look like a fool. So, once again, I wrote to my host. The reply was between gala and formal. That wasn’t clear, but I thought I would try a woman that I had been in contact with at the association. She told me that she would wear either a short dress or a tailler. Now what on earth is a tailler?
If people can get confused about something as little (and actually unimportant) as what to wear, it is not surprising that people from different cultures trying to work together can have much bigger misunderstandings. Clearing those up is a challenge of all of us. But in the short term, I am hoping to figure out what a tailler is.
Anybody with some experiences you would like to share?
October 1st, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Julie, I’m writing this from Berlin, where I’ve visiting for the past week. A wonderful city with wonderful people (as has been my experience in many past visits to Europe, Asia and Africa). Despite the fact that my German is abysmal, I’ve still found it easy to communicate with Berliners because we share a common desire to understand each other. It’s that simple.
Our audiences are just as eager for understanding — OF them and BY them. That’s why one of our primary responsibilities as communicators is to facilitate understanding… and if we find it difficult to speak the same language, discover other ways to bridge the gaps.
The desire is there. It’s up to us to seize the opportunity.
Gute Reise — and let us know what you do wear.
October 4th, 2007 at 5:33 am
The “tailleur” is defined in my unabridged as “a woman’s tailored costume esp: a suit for town wear.” It comes from the French for cut or trim which is where we get the english word tailor.
More, according to Judith Martin (aka Miss Manners) of the Washington Post, there is a difference between “formal” and “black tie”. Formal would require men to wear white tie and tails. Black tie in its most technical and original sense was actually ‘informal’.
But your point is valid that there is little understanding of the differences, particularly cross culture. We don’t particularly make meaningful distinctions anymore; and there is a resistance, if not outright hostility, to such things as “dress codes”. Perhaps we need a little more “formality” brought back into social interactions? I believe Ms. Manners would certainly agree with that.