Gieves & Hawkes see upward trend in suit wearing vs downward economy!

[PADDY]

On a recent BBC Business interview, the head honcho of famous London tailors, Gieves & Hawkes, confirmed that 'they' were experiencing an increase in suit sales as the 'credit crunch' bites harder.

And also, a substantial 'rise' in the sales of luxury 'ties.'

Forgive me if I don't quote verbatim (as I'm having to remember all this from yesterday's news report), but the Chairman described this upturn psychology in the shadow of a downturn economy, as akin to "men putting on their armour to do battle in the workplace!" According to this gentleman, many of the male London crowd are shunning the 'Dress Down Fridays' and putting in a 'bigger effort' to look smart and formal at the workplace, as men are now wanting to 'stand out' and 'fight' for their place in the work place, as more-ane-more are concerned about their job security.

And interesting upturn for the books and the looks, in the downturn of the economy

 

[Weston]

I start work in the men's department of a large store next week. Today is employee discount day, and I've got two Ralph Lauren suits awaiting purchase – including a three piece. If you opt for the "tie and shirt" plus pants, you aren't bringing your "A" game for our clientele.

I see this being "enforced" socially – those who do well wear them, those who embrace otherwise do...less well. It's certainly nice to see!

 

[Suitable]

Standards of dress at the office have deteriorated almost to the vanishing point, with people showing up for work in sandals, shorts, T-shirts, and other decidedly casual attire that just a few decades ago would have been considered indecent on the street, never mind at work. I certainly welcome any trend back towards formality and propriety.

 

[cookie]

Standards of dress at the office have deteriorated almost to the vanishing point, with people showing up for work in sandals, shorts, T-shirts, and other decidedly casual attire that just a few decades ago would have been considered indecent on the street, never mind at work. I certainly welcome any trend back towards formality and propriety.

I was dressed casually in a cream linen jacket and khaki linen pants and good shoes last Friday and one of my fellow collegaues commented (not meaning to be smart) that I looked like I was going for a job interview. This guy is no slob in his attire.

The other day I was wearing a similar outfit (admittedly with a pair of 1950s Shurons and clip on shades) and a 40s something European raised woman said "you look like someone straight out of the 1950s" which was delivered as a thumbs up compliment.

Then another colleague asked me where I was going "all dressed up".

 

[Suitable]

I wear black tie to the opera. Usually I'm the best-dressed person present, not even excepting the conductor. Recently the woman—I won't say "lady"—who sat down next to me wore jeans, a sleeveless shirt that revealed the sides of her sagging breasts, and sandals that exhibited her blue toenail polish. It must have been obvious to all that she and I were not together.

You must have been handsomely attired last Friday, but I don't believe that you would dress that way for a job interview. There again, however, many people do not make an effort these days. I've interviewed applicants who turned up in T-shirts, jeans, and other distinctly inappropriate garments. A colleague mentioned a candidate who came in shorts, with the fly unzipped.

 

[Max Flash]

As they say, dress for the job you want, not necessarily the job you have.

Whilst that doesn't mean that you should wear a suit to flip burgers at MacDonalds if you want to be CEO of the company, it does mean that if you want to look serious about your job and get ahead, the first step is to look the part. You don't want the reason that you got passed over for a promotion to be as simple as that the boss couldn't take you seriously because you dressed wrong, or couldn't be put in front of clients, etc.

I've said it before and I will say it again: dressing well is never wrong. In my line of work (law), you might get clients who don't care if you don't wear a suit, but they will never take offence if you do. Similarly, you will get the old-school clients who like to see their lawyer in a suit, even if they don't wear one themselves.

Dressing smarter in an economic downturn is more prevalent because people are trying to look serious and to avoid losing their jobs. I don't buy into the "battle armour" argument as much as saying that people don't want to be picked out for redundancy because they stand out at work, whether through sloppy work, sloppy dress or sloppy attitude (are the three interlinked? I'll leave you to decide!). In the UK, the move against dress-down has been going on for about a year now, coincidentally about as long as the down-turn so far.

 

[H.Johnson]

On a recent BBC Business interview, the head honcho of famous London tailors, Gieves & Hawkes, confirmed that 'they' were experiencing an increase in suit sales as the 'credit crunch' bites harder.

I saw a good Gieves & Hawkes suit in a charity shop last week, in a big size.

Last of the fat bankers?

 

[FlArchaeologist]

Maybe people are afraid that they can't afford suits in the upcoming years, and therefore are stock piling?

Just a thought.....back to writing research papers...

Cheers,

 

[Lou]

I just started doing the same thing. A letter from the top recently went out to the employees stating that the recession necessitated cutbacks. There was no talk of layoffs, but it was still enough to prompt me to redouble my professional presence.

 

[Edward]

It is amazing the difference it makes in perception. I always make an effort for the office, typically dressing better than many (or most) people in positions very much more senior than I. It's not something i do for effect, simply a personal style choice, but I have become aware that it is very much noticed, and appreciated. I am often referred to by some colleagues as 'the best dressed academic I know,' and recently I even heard down the grapevine that the undergraduate stuents I currently teach appreciate the way I dress. They perceive me as being "different" than other lecturers - apparently I stand out to them as they say "he obviously cares how he looks, unlike many" - said as a compliment.

 

[H.Johnson]

Things haven't always been as good or as rich as they are now on Savile Row. I have a pair of 1930s russet cotton duck work trousers, as worn by 'the common man' (and as BA military fatigues) with a label. I won't give away the name on the label but let us just say that if you were to walk down Savile Row to find their premises, you wouldn't have far to go. Oh, and their current partners moved in with them after their own shop was blown up by terrorists. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink...

 

[H.Johnson]

Edward,

Confirmed. My end of semester feedback from a class last year included one that said, 'Dr ____ has dress sense, which the others (lecturers) lack'.

It is amazing the difference it makes in perception. I always make an effort for the office, typically dressing better than many (or most) people in positions very much more senior than I. It's not something i do for effect, simply a personal style choice, but I have become aware that it is very much noticed, and appreciated. I am often referred to by some colleagues as 'the best dressed academic I know,' and recently I even heard down the grapevine that the undergraduate stuents I currently teach appreciate the way I dress. They perceive me as being "different" than other lecturers - apparently I stand out to them as they say "he obviously cares how he looks, unlike many" - said as a compliment.

 

[LondonLuke]

Edward,

Confirmed. My end of semester feedback from a class last year included one that said, 'Dr ____ has dress sense, which the others (lecturers) lack'.

Unfortunately it's also something that students often lack!

 

[Edward]

A lot of mine are certainly very casual - jeans, etc - but I notice increasingly that a lot of them are however casual still making quite an effort. Moreso, as one might expect, the young ladies, especially at undergraduate level.

 

[H.Johnson]

At one end of semester lecture a whole row of male students (the back row, of course) turned up wearing trench coats and trilby hats. Presumably they were 'taking a rise' out of my habitual dress, but it was good fun. I wonder where they got them from?

Our degree level courses have an industrial placement (interneship) and we make the students dress up for the interviews (real and practice). Sometimes the males look really good from the ankles up, but the shoes often let them down!

As Edward says, the effort counts!

A lot of mine are certainly very casual - jeans, etc - but I notice increasingly that a lot of them are however casual still making quite an effort. Moreso, as one might expect, the young ladies, especially at undergraduate level.

 

[ortega76]

I must admit, as a job hunter I do find myself "dressing up" a bit more even for daily errands. I'm in jeans and thermals if I'm shoveling snow but I find myself breaking out a collared shirt if I go anywhere. Afterall, I don't know who I'll meet along the way.