Suits are out for professionals?

[Baron Kern]

Forum members:

What are your opinions concerning the rising trend of casual wear in the work place? More and more companies seem to be allowing employees to choose whether or not to wear a suit to work. To some companies may not even consider you if you attend an interview in a suit, take google for example. Google is one such company whos dress code is simply the following:

"You must wear clothes."

Jason Warner an employee stated 'After all of this, I do have to admit that my new career experience at Google (week six as I write this) has got me a little wrapped around the axle however, as the vast majority of Google employees simply wear jeans and t-shirts to work. And those really bad boots — I think they call them Uggs." after he just started working there.

Some seem to think that dressing traditionally for work (i.e. in a suit) shows a lack of individuality and personality.



I would argue that this is complete rubbish and that one should dress their best while working for a company that is your livelihood.
I dress in kackies and a button down shirt, occasionally with tie and sports jacket for my college education and I get weird looks. But its because I believe in being professional in an atmosphere that can give me so much.

 

[Ace Fedora]

After ten-plus years of office-casual, ranging from polo shirts and khakis down to T-shirt and ripped jeans, I recently started wearing a shirt-and-tie combo to work. At first it was to disguise the fact that I was sneaking out for job interviews, but I really enjoy the way it made me feel -- a lot more put-together, and a lot more professional.

Despite the fact that I'm still in a largely casual environment, or maybe because of it, I find that I get treated differently -- I'm taken a lot more seriously.

I no longer mind being the only tie in the room -- it's not a lot different than being the only fedora in the room.

I don't like dress codes, because I want my dress to reflect who I am. If others want to dress down, let them. It only makes me look better by comparison.

 

[Matt Deckard]

i was a suit in a polo shirt and khakis environment and as time went by more suits started being worn.

Google's policy isn't about not wearing suits, it's about individual non uniform style so you can be a free thinker.

And it's not that suits are now going out for professionals, suits are all over the media and government and running around in offices all over the world. I just came back from Tokyo and I saw more suits than jeans. Suits may not be the standard, though they aren't really going anywhere right now.

 

[Baron Kern]

As I understand it, suits over in asia are quite popular.

Im not saying "Suits are out" it was more of a catchy title to draw people to this thread. Im just asking what one thinks about wearing say casual clothing in a work environment over say business professional. I mean surely it is more common now to in a way "dress down" for work (like t-shirts, or polos and such) than it was say 30, 40, 60, 80 years ago. Like I said, im not saying "OMG suits are gone, look at google!" It really was more of an example.

 

[brylcreem boy]

Well.. I was alwys taught to wear a suit for a interview. When I changed careers about a year ago... I was interviewing for a outside sales job with Behr Paint- which is a casual environment- sold in Home Depots. I was the only one of the 3 interviewing who showed up in a suit and the guy I interviewed with was in khaki's and a polo. I 1st thought I may have blown it and overdid it. but, when I got the job he told me that I really stood out and carried myself very professionally and I think confidence comes from within, but when you polish it off with a nice suit, it really tells people you care about your appearance and that your a professional.

 

[Edward]

Some seem to think that dressing traditionally for work (i.e. in a suit) shows a lack of individuality and personality.

Ironically, nowadays the opposite is the case, more often than not. In general, though, I tend to find that folks who feel a concious need to scream how individual they are on every occasion through their choice of clothing, rarely have a shred of genuine individuality in them. true whether that be collar and tie or (as one guy I encountered in the academic circuit opted for at conferences) really ratty, beholed jeans, washed out t shirt and sandals. The older I get, the more I am convinced that when in doubt it is always better to dress up than down. I'm not at all against casual dressing when appropriate, of course. Seems to me that a company that would refuse to hire someone who wore a suit to the interview would be somewhat more narrowminded than a company which refused to hire someone who didn't wear a suit.

 

[jgilbert]

I may wear a suit to work at the most 3 times a month. The rest of the time it is business dress casual. And last while on a visit to our CPA firm I was the one in the jacket and tie and they were in golf mode!

Even some of the male banktellers are in polo's.

I am sure there are still some fields that are jacket and tie, however for the most part it is casual.

 

[Fletch]

The important thing, in any workplace, is that you not be perceived as deliberately setting yourself apart. If that means forgoing a tie because it carries associations for your coworkers that it may not for you - well, you're just going to have to deal with that.

 

[Baron Kern]

The important thing, in any workplace, is that you not be perceived as deliberately setting yourself apart. If that means forgoing a tie because it carries associations for your coworkers that it may not for you - well, you're just going to have to deal with that.

Doesn't that seem strange though, I mean I understand what you say, one doesn't want to overdress and be perceived as pretentious. But it just seems strange though that if one had gone to work dressed in say kackies and a polo shirt some time in the past one would be setting them self apart amongst others who perhaps dressed more professionally.

Same thing at my university, there are all these pictures from the university's past and the pictures of the students in the classrooms in even the mid 70's and every single male student has a button down shirt, today, its mostly short jeans and a t-shirt...if that. It just seems so backwards to me, personally, that many are loosing that sense of professionalism.

 

[Guttersnipe]

I think it's all about interpreting the group mode of dress...

If you work in an "office casual" dress-code environment you can turn it up a notch. If you wear nice dress slacks instead of frumpy dockers, switch "dress-sneakers" for wingtips/oxfords, and ditch the polo/wind-braker combo for a button-up/sport-coat, you're still casual but present a more serious image.

as for the fellow who wear khakis and button ups to college courses - kudos to you! That's practically white tie for a college student!

 

[pistolpete]

Unbelievable....

This question makes me nuts. Of course it is still valid.

The irony of being dressed and somehow conforming. It is the complete opposite. Suits; and how you wear them and with what accessories set any man apart. Grey stripe suit, boring; not when worn with panache and confidence.

The denim nation makes and drives me crazy. Now dungarees are the common denominator. I feel it's a real problem. Most men have no clue or lack the even basic skills to put outfits together.

Now to totally contradict myself. Denim when worn in the correct situation can be fresh and unexpected. Especially when you don't wear them each and everyday!

www.axelsltd.com

 

[Kermez]

The law firm I work for is generally dress shirt and slacks, unless you're going to a hearing or trial (tie and jacket required, suit preferred).

I usually wear suits 3-4 days a week, regardless. My suits are nice but fairly inexpensive (Kohl's, J.C. Penney's, and Paul Frederick), and I have over 110 ties, so I guess I feel like I'd better wear them, as there's really no point in them just hanging in my closest. On Fridays during the summer, I'll wear a Haiwaiian-or-Sopranos-style short-sleeve; Fridays during the rest of the year I'll go sportscoat/blazer, dress shirt, and slacks/trousers, unless something big is popping.

My suits generally set me apart from my peers (all the staff/non-attorneys - heck, even some of the attorneys themselves) in that I look more professional, which the Boss appreciates (and probably expects, as I am the senior staff-member) and the other attorneys seem to respect. (The ladies in the office seem to enjoy it, too.)

Plus, a huge influence on me is my All-Time Favorite TV Show, A Nero Wolfe Mystery (see avatar). Set in the late-40's through early-60's, all the characters are dressed pretty cool, especially Archie Goodwin (played by Timothy Hutton - see avatar, again). I especially love the ties in the series (most notably, Archie's), and I am always on the lookout for decently-priced ties that remind me of those seen in the show. In an unabashed effort to imitate, I started wearing suits to work most of the time. I even dove in and got various colored pocket squares and a few felt fedoras (which bring me to how I stumbled onto this website, btw).

 

[Rider]

It's seldom wrong to be over-dressed, but always wrong to be under-dressed. I wear a suit or sport coat with tie to work regardless of what others do. Personally, I want professionals to look professional. I am uneasy when my Dr. looks like the guy that works on my car.

My college age son recently had opportunity to visit our statehouse with classmates to engage with legislators. I was proud to have him seek my help because he wanted to dress for the occasion. Afterward, he told me he was the only one in his class with sport coat, dress shirt, and tie. He made the observation that legislators kept walking by his more casually dressed mates to address him directly for conversation or question. It was his first life lesson that clothes do make a difference.

 

[Kermez]

Absolutely. Anytime I'm at the courthouse, everyone just assumes I'm an attorney. They are all almost universally stunned when they learn that I am "just" a paralegal.

 

[John in Covina]

Google is one such company whos dress code is simply the following: "You must wear clothes."

***************************

Perhaps they had some one show up in a Depends and sandals at one time.

So at least we know the "clothes" barrier hasn't been broken yet.

 

[LondonLuke]

Personally I always dressed up for work. As I'm going to uni in a week, my contract in finance ended yesterday. As I was leaving, a Director stopped me and asked me who I was.I told him I was leaving, and he actually offered me a mid-level job purely based on my appearence!

Blue suit, white shirt, nice tie, pocket square, polished shoes and ironing. Compared to the usual busi-casual crowd, I looked like a junior executive, so was offered the position! Dress for success, for the job you want, not the job you have. Advice I was given a long time ago, and have always stuck to.




But as for dressing up at uni, I doubt I'll have the courage! Unless of course, I'm going out somewhere nice

 

[Slim Portly]

I don't like dress codes, because I want my dress to reflect who I am. If others want to dress down, let them. It only makes me look better by comparison.

Bravo!

 

[LaMedicine]

I just came back from Tokyo and I saw more suits than jeans.

Suits (and ties for men) are the standard in business here. When college students' job interview season comes, you are going see droves of college students in suits--usually gray-charcoal gray, sometimes navy or black--both male and female (straight-line or A-line skirts, no pants for the gals).

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a medical meeting with our staff--I was suprised to see that the chief of our PT/OT staff wore a suit and tie in comparison to the usual rehab staff uniform at work, and the casual clothes, though never jeans and T shirt, he wears to and from work. All the male speakers wore suits, and the female speakers were in suits or jacket and skirt. There were a couple of women in kimonos, even. Well, the same does go for international medical meets.

I am uneasy when my Dr. looks like the guy that works on my car.

lol lol lol One of my American friends joked to me, "You dress too nice to be a Dr" and his wife chimed in "Yeah" when I joined them for dinner after work wearing a skirt suit, a typical work wear for me, though of course, when working, I shed my jacket for a lab coat.

 

[Bourbon Guy]

Ironically, nowadays the opposite is the case, more often than not. In general, though, I tend to find that folks who feel a concious need to scream how individual they are on every occasion through their choice of clothing, rarely have a shred of genuine individuality in them. true whether that be collar and tie or (as one guy I encountered in the academic circuit opted for at conferences) really ratty, beholed jeans, washed out t shirt and sandals. The older I get, the more I am convinced that when in doubt it is always better to dress up than down. I'm not at all against casual dressing when appropriate, of course. Seems to me that a company that would refuse to hire someone who wore a suit to the interview would be somewhat more narrowminded than a company which refused to hire someone who didn't wear a suit.

In agreement here. I have always believed that one can almost never be overdressed.

 

[Geesie]

I've always believed that if you dress the same at work or at church (etc) as you do lounging about your house then that means you don't take work or church or whatever any more seriously than watching TV on your couch.