What you should wear to work

[zoobernut]

Lol this thread has totally devolved from what is acceptable work wear to what will get you women.

I really think that what you wear to work is not nearly as cut and dry as people are making it seem here in this thread. The suggestions are really great but they are just suggestions they are not the end all be all rules about how to dress at work. It is 100% possible to over dress even in a corporate office environment and that will make you look just as foolish as under dressing.

[Yuri-G]

this is true. plus, it all depends on your environment. I work in a professional environment for a very large company in a department that processes tons of money, but the top manager of the department is unbelievably laid-back, and many of the direct managers of each area are as well. I've had the guy in charge of our department (who is only four or five steps from the CEO) sit in a meeting telling me and some of my other co-workers about all the times he's gotten wasted camping with his wife and other totally inappropriate crap like that, because that's just how cool he is. obviously this carries down to the dress code, because if he can wear jeans, so can everyone else.

I've also worked in departments of this same company that were far less important to the success of the company but still maintained far more serious dress codes, because that's just how the management in that area wanted things to be. it all comes down to making a judgment call based on what you see around you. if your boss's boss's boss is wearing jeans and a t-shirt every day, it's probably ok for you to do the same. if everyone in your entire unit is wearing slacks and dress shirts, dress up motherfucker, you don't have a choice.

[ertyu]

I just bought 2 suits last week, waiting for them to get tailored. I normally have a good fashion sense for like... normal every day activities but I'm kind of lost when it comes to professional attire. I'm kind of a skinny guy, i'm 5'11" and I'm 150 lbs. All the ties they had at the store were 3.5 inches (which I believe is standard) The guy at the store said that I didn't look ridiculous in them but to me it looked like they were taking up like half of my body space on the front there. Should I get skinnier ties or what?

[Absolutely Virtue]

I just bought 2 suits last week, waiting for them to get tailored. I normally have a good fashion sense for like... normal every day activities but I'm kind of lost when it comes to professional attire. I'm kind of a skinny guy, i'm 5'11" and I'm 150 lbs. All the ties they had at the store were 3.5 inches (which I believe is standard) The guy at the store said that I didn't look ridiculous in them but to me it looked like they were taking up like half of my body space on the front there. Should I get skinnier ties or what?

I like the skinny-tie look, but then again I like the skinny-everything look. Lots of designers are making narrower ties these days, you should check some out. I'm a bit bigger than you, but not by much. I have a narrow, black Ben Sherman tie that I absolutely love.

A note about conformity-

I'm by no means a conformist. I told my wife about this thread, and she laughed. I tend to dress very casually for work. I wear my clothes tight and I've got moppy hair. I'm going for a look, somewhere between mod and rock and roll. I wore a very narrow black suit, that Ben Sherman tie, and my Chuck Taylor's at my wedding, for fuck sakes. It's not for everybody for sure, but I think it looks cool and (most importantly) my wife loves it.

This thread wasn't designed to get everybody to look the same. This was just basic advice for people who don't care, and need quick pointers for looking the part. If you want to deviate from these norms, that's perfectly fine. Just know that people will judge you based on how you look. If you're comfortable with that, do whatever you want. But if you just wanna blend in, you can do it pretty easily following these rules. Then you can dress like an emo kid or a grandpa or a tourist on the weekends.

[zoobernut]

Dude I wore all leather Converse at my wedding! It was freaking awesome. I love those shoes. I really liked the Tuxedo with the leather Chuck Taylor's.

[Oulanbator]

So I should wear bright green socks to a board meeting? How about I dye my hair purple for the next focus group? Or wear a hoodie and sweatpants the next time I go to a corporate dinner?

"Originality" was cute and all back when I was 16, with pink hair, fishnets, and black fingernails.

You didn't understand anything. You're reacting like a 16 years old school kid that was conforming to ridiculous teenage standards ( that were definitely not original by the way).
I told you to abuse the norm, to play with its limits, not to break it. I'm somehow telling you to be different from all the cookie-cutter idiots we meet in everyday life.

You can respect the codes and abuse them at the same time.
Shaving for example, that's an easy thing to deal with: imagine a company where everyone shaves every day, you could keep a 1-3 days beard up ( well if you like it of course). You don't have to shave every day just because your boss or other colleagues do. You may piss that stupid boss because you do: he can't fire you because you have beard anyways.

By being different, you're looking cooler, many clients will love this because you do not look like another machine but you look like a human like them, many colleagues will envy your "courage", and the boss will also notice you're not another tool that fits in a box, and he will like this.
However, the one day you know you have an important meeting with a client that is stupid enough to judge you on these details, you reverse everything, you shave well, you conclude the deal, you take the money, you make the company win... who can even complain about you ?
Complain because (one of) the best <inset job> doesn't shave well ? Or wear orange shirts ? That's ridiculous.

I said beard, but it can be anything: your can respect the clothing codes and fuck up the method, you can speak with an Oxford accent... doesn't matter as long as you get what the company expects from you: the results.

It is FUN to shock conformist idiots... and the world out there is filled at 95% with them. I guess it's all about the kind of person you are, and what your shoulders can carry.
If you're not strong enough, please conform and try to stab me in the back.

[zoobernut]

There definitely is a fine line between being original and out of the box enough to get noticed and being over the top and looking like a dumbass.

It is detrimental to your career if you blend in so perfectly that your boss does not see you as an individual and does not distinguish between what you do and what the next shuck does.

[volcanicweather]

You didn't understand anything. You're reacting like a 16 years old school kid that was conforming to ridiculous teenage standards ( that were definitely not original by the way).
I told you to abuse the norm, to play with its limits, not to break it. I'm somehow telling you to be different from all the cookie-cutter idiots we meet in everyday life.

You can respect the codes and abuse them at the same time.
Shaving for example, that's an easy thing to deal with: imagine a company where everyone shaves every day, you could keep a 1-3 days beard up ( well if you like it of course). You don't have to shave every day just because your boss or other colleagues do. You may piss that stupid boss because you do: he can't fire you because you have beard anyways.

By being different, you're looking cooler, many clients will love this because you do not look like another machine but you look like a human like them, many colleagues will envy your "courage", and the boss will also notice you're not another tool that fits in a box, and he will like this.
However, the one day you know you have an important meeting with a client that is stupid enough to judge you on these details, you reverse everything, you shave well, you conclude the deal, you take the money, you make the company win... who can even complain about you ?
Complain because (one of) the best <inset job> doesn't shave well ? Or wear orange shirts ? That's ridiculous.

I said beard, but it can be anything: your can respect the clothing codes and fuck up the method, you can speak with an Oxford accent... doesn't matter as long as you get what the company expects from you: the results.

It is FUN to shock conformist idiots... and the world out there is filled at 95% with them. I guess it's all about the kind of person you are, and what your shoulders can carry.
If you're not strong enough, please conform and try to stab me in the back.

No, you missed the point of my post - why would you purposely put yourself at a disadvantage like that in the workplace because of your attire?

You seem rather hostile about the whole situation - I used to be "goth" and still have "goth" friends and don't have a problem at all with people who dress "different"; hell I still wear my Meshuggah and Opeth shirts and I'm still a huge metal fan. But I don't carry this part of my life into the workplace because it's not going to help me in this environment even though it's part of who I am. You need to be able to differentiate to image from your interests in order to succeed in a corporate world.

My old roommate is a perfect example of this. Green hair, crazy piercings.... but he's a bright guy and has a Chemical Engineering degree from a Big Ten school. He refuses to change his image and guess where he is... over a year removed from college and still without job. People freak when they see him and his personality in the interview room. I know it's an isolated incident, but I believe it speaks volumes about how important appearance is in the workplace.

[Mizango]

Forwarding this to our programming and Research and Development dept. stat. Comb overs with pony tails, tube socks with sandals and D&D figures on their desks.

Typical nerds but some good, B.O smelly dudes.

[Oulanbator]

No, you missed the point of my post - why would you purposely put yourself at a disadvantage like that in the workplace because of your attire?
[...]You need to be able to differentiate to image from your interests in order to succeed in a corporate world.

Well, maybe I was too much virulent in my way to say things.
I've never had green hair nor piercings, I've never been goth, I've never even considered wearing that kind of attributes, and I'm not advising anyone to look like this ( though it's their life).

It's more about finding that balance point between what you are, what you want to show, and what others expect from you. You can be different without being a stereotype. You can be alike without being a stereotype either.

Let's look at your roommate: he's probably more protecting himself from Idk what than really expressing who he his through his appearance.
Well my advice is somehow aimed at people like him: learn their rules and find the balance point allowing you to break most of these rules without giving the rules followers options to really criticize you.
It's like wearing the disguise while saying at the same time "look what I'm doing with it".

And that's fun do to, especially if you have what it take to back that appearance up.

Idk... think Dr House for example

[Dak Rey]

I went to an interview a few years back. Light blue shirt, dark blue tie, black belt, trousers and shoes and felt like a complete idiot in the waiting room where everyone else was in jeans and a t-shirt. Got into the interview and the first thing comment was along the lines of "Oh wow, you wore a shirt?". At this point, I was thinking to myself why I had even bothered to put the effort in (I had gone and bought the stuff specially since I had *ahem* put on weight and my old stuff didn't fit...) but in the end, I'm the one who got the job. Speaking to the manager since, it turns out that he remembered me in particular because of how I had dressed.

Now I go to work wearing jeans and t-shirt. A collar and tie is a bit much for a warehouse floor...

[Ivve]

I can't believe I forgot my biggest pet-peeve... the unibrow. Honestly, is there anything less appealing than a unibrow? Chicks hate it and it makes you look like a fool. Grab a set of tweezers, take a couple minutes, and get rid of it. There's no bigger indication of a male not caring about his appearance than a unibrow in my opinion.

I'm really glad you said this! My husband actually has a unibrow and refuses to let me touch it up for him, despite how terribly sloppy it looks. Good grooming for both men and women is definitely important in the modern workplace, no matter how much some of you all may object that your environment is too casual, laid back, or whathaveyou.

Some of the worst that I see with men: ingrown hairs on the neck, gross neckbeard, and hair growth on the back of the neck under a haircut.

Ingrown hairs, especially on the neck usually mean two things. Maybe you have moderately to very curly hair. However, if it's clear by the rest of your hair that this is not true, then we must assume the second: you are a man who does not know how to shave. Men typically get very defensive when I tell them this, perhaps oblivious to the fact that women do more hair removal over a greater surface area on their bodies than the vast majority of men. If you get ingrown hairs, tips are behind the spoiler.

Spoiler: show

1. Care for your skin properly! Well cared-for skin is always going to be easier to shave than dry, patchy skin. Irritated skin is going to be red and feel inflamed; unpleasant to experience and unpleasant to look at as well. Jack Black, Anthony Logistics, Lab Series, and Cosmedicine all make skin care for men. For less expensive brands, I know Target carries a line called Every Man Jack, and the products are of good quality. Moisturizer is key, especially after you shave!

Any men's line is going to provide you with a product that has no odor or a faint masuline odor, as well as more masculine packaging so that if you're showering at the gym or at your girl's place and pull out your moisturizer, nobody's going to look twice.

For men's skin care, my top recommendation is Kiehl's. Kiehl's is somewhere between high-end and Target, and they really have superior quality products. Nearly everything for men is odorless and the packaging ranges from nondescript (plain white plastic with black lettering) to masculine in appearance. I know that may sound stupid to say, but appearance of these products is a big deal to a lot of men.

2. Stop shaving with an electric razor. I know it's faster, but it does nothing to "train" your hairs to grow in one particular direction. It can even encourage your hairs to grow more chaotically.

3. When you do a wet shave, make sure it's really a wet shave. Don't just slap some gel-to-foam on your face and think you're doing a proper job. Wet your skin down with warm water before you apply any kind of soap or shaving cream. It helps if you shave after you shower (I believe most men do), but if you shower in the evening or something, just press a warm washcloth on your face for a couple of minutes before you get started.

4. Don't press so damn hard! If you have to press really hard to get a close shave, either your blade isn't sharp enough, your razor sucks, or your razor is a bad choice for the type of hair you have. Which leads directly to:

5. Choose a proper razor for your face. More blades does not always mean a better shave. Many men use razors with multiple blades, thinking that's the best choice. If you have a big problem with razor bumps and/or ingrown hairs, you might be shaving too close for your skin and hair type, and you need to scale back a little bit. Try using a single blade razor, and use a new blade (or freshly sharpened blade) every day.

5. You can "train" your hairs, to a degree. Always shave in the same direction; don't switch it up thinking that's going to give you some kind of benefit. If you go with the grain, which I think it recommended, do that every single day. My brother used to go with the grain one day and against the grain the next, because someone told him it would reduce the appearance of the 5 o'clock shadow. It does not and his skin got fucked up. Consistency will encourage them to grow in the same direction.

6. Make sure you locate any ingrown hairs you can and gently pull them out of your skin before you shave. You can do this with a straight, sharp object like a pin or sewing needle. Now, don't dig around in your skin. Don't go tearing holes and poking things and drawing blood. You should be able to slide the pin under the portion of the hair that's above the skin and lift out the end that's grown back in.

Getting a good shave is harder for some than for others. Just bear in mind that just like with anything else, you get what you pay for. If you invest the time and effort into caring for your face properly, you will see results.

Scraggly neckbeard: shave it. If you don't shave it because of ingrown hairs, go read the spoiler. This never looks professional or attracts the women. Don't make the pube-reminiscent neckbeard part of any kind of facial hair design you might have.

Back of the neck growth: This can occur under a variety of circumstances. Maybe you have a hairstyle that doesn't need to be trimmed weekly, but your neck hair will visibly fill in during that time. Maybe the texture of your hair makes regrowth in this area apparent more quickly on you than other individuals. Either way, don't be afraid to step into a barber shop and ask to have this area touched up as often as necessary for you.

I guess the overall theme of all of these things is that many men do not recognize the need to personalize their grooming habits as much as is actually necessary. I know a lot of men who refuse to try any harder than switching from soap to shaving cream/gel formulas because they just don't want to have to expend much effort. They eschew moisturizers and other things they feel are too "frilly" for their very masculine daily routine, but when this can improve how you feel as well as how you look, it seems a stupid excuse.

The simple fact is that attention to small details projects the message that you value yourself. You consider yourself important and worthy of attention, and that shows through in your appearance. I guarantee you that if you project an image of someone who just does not care, it's less likely that others will feel you are worthy of their time and attention. That's the underlying reason to why you should do any of these things at all, from dressing well to grooming well to minding your posture. All of it plays into this one thing.

[Azkarin2]

I never understood why some men walk around with a unibrow. Unlike every other type of facial hair, it never has appropriate look (hell even chops kick ass sometimes). Are they in denial? Pluck, tweeze, shave, wax, or do whatever but there should be no merging of the brows lol.

EDIT: Props to this thread. While most of it is old knowledge, I never realized/thought to get my dress shirts tailored. At 6'4 200 lbs, the shirts are either an inch too shirt or too baggy for my frame. I've gotten suits tailored but never thought to do the same with shirts. Thanks!

[wyrmtung]

I once worked for a company that was very old school. The industry was old school and my director was old school. I wore a tie four days a week. Friday was business casual, no jeans. I didn't mind it too much because I looked good. But I did mind all the dry cleaning I had to do. Such a hassle and it gets expensive.

Now I do the same type of job for a different company. Today, like almost every other day, I am wearing cargo shorts, a t-shirt, birkenstocks, a ball cap, and a week old beard. I love it.

IF (big IF) I were to ever get another job, I do not know if I could ever go back to grooming myself daily and putting a noose around my neck. My closet is full of some really nice clothes and expensive ties that I have not touched in years.

[Quixotic]

The only rule for tucked versus untucked on a button up shirt is that you can wear it untucked if the following apply:

- The shirt has a finished hem at the bottom.
- The shirt is shorter than normal so that it barely covers your ass (best place for end of shirt to fall is about halfway down your ass). Any longer and it looks messy.

Before I got my current job, the majority of interviews I had started off with a comment from the interviewer about how well-dressed for the interview, whether I needed to or not, followed up with short stories about how the interviewer has had to deal with people who have been walking in with t-shirt and jeans, or attempted to at least do business casual but failed because their pants/shirts aren't ironed, wearing the wrong shoes, didn't know how to tie a tie, and even wearing "loud" clothing (club clothing basically).

Knowing how to put together a good outfit doesn't mean becoming engrossed in the fashion industry, its just knowing some basic things like what colors go together, what is comfortable in certain types of weather, and most importantly knowing your own body so you can dress it properly.

[Kang]

At my co-op (newsroom), my boss wears sandals and I wear skate shoes. I guess I can't give any good tips lol.