SUITS

Below is the text of a letter I sent to a very recent college graduate regarding personal choices and business attire:

Kid:
I just wanted to take a little time to clarify a few points concerning clothing and our interactions.

For at least forty years I have been following classic men's dress and casual clothing. I have researched ,watched, and learned. Trends come and go, but the rules of classic men's clothing have remained the same. When I offer what I know, it is good counsel based on my experiences. No, not just opinion, but based on good information.

I would be remiss if I did not tell you that your approach to corporate business attire is odd to me. You seem to believe that your new corporation gives a Fuk if you are extra or hot. You seem to be gravitating towards styles that more so reveal your personality, rather than corporate culture.

When one is hired by any organization, one (in return for compensation) agrees to first and foremost forward the brand of that organization. Certainly, your own personal brand factors in there somewhere, but the bottom line is that you agree to be who They want you to be. If their brand isn't something you can agree with you move on to an environment that is more in line with that which is acceptable to you. 

That said, there are basic business attire rules, most of which are honed or even perverted by particular organizations. Conservative attire is probably the best place to start with your organization. As I suggested a couple times prior to your internship, you should have used part of your time there to study what others wear. They already know that you can do the job, they want to know if you can fit in, move up etc.. In order, to get ahead they need to believe that you are one of them. They need to believe that you both understand and accept their culture. 

As I said yesterday, look at what your bosses wear, and go from there. This is more so a uniform than an expression of personal tastes. Personal tastes can only be reflected within your organization's identity.

More pointedly, your choice of a black suit paired with brown shoes is not classic professional attire, it is indeed trendy. I would be asking myself, "Am I really going to work at a trendy organization?" Does a trendy style forward my own personal brand as it aligns with my employers? If you can't answer an emfactic yes, I might rethink my choices. Sure, your company may not go ape shit with your initial trendy choices, but trust me, they won't give you long to catch up. 

Further, I wanted to suggest to you that in particular, Facebook and Instagram both have hundreds of accounts and groups devoted to classic dress clothing. I follow at least a couple dozen of these individuals and groups. They all post daily, offer ideas, and there are dozens of people willing to field and offer great answers/direction to sartorial problems. I cannot stress enough that how you present yourself is greatly important to achieving your goals, and controlling your brand, how you are perceived.

As always, I hope that I have been of great help.

As an aside, we don't need to argue over these or any other points. I do my best to offer you great useful information; if they are contrary to your rational thoughts, reject them. It's not a matter of right or wrong-ness. It's about taking good information and making the best choices that you can based on those choices.

-Les