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How to Dress for Work (for Men)
by Brett Singer
Fashion in the workplace is an oft-discussed topic, both in print and at the office water cooler. For women, this is a complex and weighty subject. Men, on the other hand, have typically had very little in the way of options when it comes to business wear -- until recently, that is.
Used to be that all a biz-guy needed was five white shirts, one or two suits and a pair of shoes (two if he was married). Ah, the good old days. Now, though, men are working all sorts of different jobs, and the corporate cultures of each are dramatically different. GuyShop offers a few helpful examples to get you through your workweek without looking really silly:
1. The Internet Explosion
Now that computing and Internet companies are hiring people as fast as their stock price climbs, and even billionaires like Bill Gates show up in court without so much as a tie, it is time to let the cat out of the bag. By taking one of these jobs, you not only forgo a larger salary in exchange for potential lucrative stock options (as well as forgoing your life in exchange for working all the time), but you don't have to dress like a banker. People such as Larry Ellison, who may not be GQ material, but at least trims his beard, and even Mr. Gates, who, now that he's married, has clothes that usually match, are rapidly dispelling the notion that people who work in the computing industry are a bunch of hopelessly fashion geeks.
If you are a behind-the-scenes technical type, you can wear pretty much whatever you want -- it's a tight job market, they need you, and as long as you manage a shower about once a week, you can get away with anything short of murder (and then they would probably only fire you if it was on videotape). Pocket protectors went out a long time ago, and since you will be spending most of your waking hours sitting on your duff and staring at a monitor, you may as well be comfortable. If you need to meet with "the suits" (i.e., executives, VPs, etc.), slip into a pair of CLEAN khakis, and a shirt with more than two buttons (three buttons and six button holes doesn't count). The rest of your working hours, you can wear pretty much what you please. That said, we highly recommend (a) changing underclothing at least three times a week, and (b) remaining clothed at all times, even if you are all by your lonesome (two phrases, one concept -- security cameras, and your photo on the Internet).
2. Bankers R Us
On a related note, the Investment Bankers who are financing the Internet stock boom do not have the pleasure of dressing however they please. Suits, the conservative kind, still rule in the halls of Salomon Smith Barney Dean Witter CiticorpGroupTravelers, or whatever. There is, however, one exception -- working late. Basically, if you and your fellow cube-dwellers are slaving away until 4am, long after the partners have split for their Connecticut homes, you can return to dorm-room cram-session attire -- sweatpants, T-shirts, and white socks, shoes optional.
3. Middle Management
You know who you are -- limited or no stock options, the umpteenth hire, lots of responsibility, and very little actual power. No matter what your salary, no one really expects you to show up in a full-fledged suit. It is, however, much easier to earn others' respect if you look like their version of a boss. Like the cubicle-dweller's hero Dilbert, don a shirt and tie, but leave the jacket at home. Unlike our man 'D,' vary your attire -- don't always wear white, and make sure the tie doesn't curl up involuntarily.
4. Self-Employed
Two words -- WHO CARES. If sitting around your living room in a suit and tie floats your boat, by all means, go for it. If closing a deal in your skivvies sounds appealing, then do it. Just be careful not to get TOO comfy -- loose lips sink ships, and statements such as, "hold on, I dropped my pen in the toilet" can be deal-breakers.
PARTING ADVICE: It's a jungle out there, and while no one can tell you what to wear (except your wife or your mother), we strongly advise that you pay close attention to your attire when you hit the office. Stranger things have happened than people being let go for violating dress codes they didn't even know existed. The number one piece of advice we have is that no matter where you work, before you burn all of your Armani, take a peek at the desk next to yours, and see what the Joneses are sporting. Ties may not be de rigeur, but that doesn't mean you can wear ripped jeans and a tank top.
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