When most employment lawyers advise companies about work-related attire, it tends to be of the short-shorts-are-not-appropriate-for-the-office type pep talk.

Yet with Americans looking for fresh business opportunities abroad, attorneys Jennifer Roeper and Olga Pina increasingly find themselves offering increasingly being called to help globetrotting executives dress for international success.

Indeed, so great was demand for such extra-legal counsel that these Tampa attorneys recently teamed up with Saks Fifth Avenue to begin offering sartorial seminars. Part legal colloquium, part fashion show, their inaugural presentation included tips on what to wear (and not) at business meetings in countries as physically – and culturally – distant as Brazil and Botswana.

To be sure, a seemingly innocent fashion faux pas can signal more than a lack of cultural awareness. It can even undermine a fledgling business relationship.

For example, that summer-weight white suit may beat India’s heat, but white here is typically reserved for funerals. And while that smart red purse may project confidence and style in the U.S., in Taiwan, it screams bad luck.

Join Olga and Jennifer on Thursday, November 19th at 6 pm at Saks Fifth Avenue in Tampa for a lesson in dressing to impress and gain respect in all parts of the world!  There is no fee, but an RSVP is required, and $10 donations will be accepted for the Laura Bedingfield Memorial Scholarship Fund.  (Awarded to students pursuing international studies.)