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Dressing for Success: To Suit or not to Suit...


FKIM01

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Re: Suits.  No hate, but I don't miss them either.  I saw a discussion in the Purdue pregame thread because of coach Woody's wardrobe and rather than take that topic further off the rails, I thought I'd start a conversation here.  Traditionally, conventional wisdom has said you dress for success, but I thought I'd share some of my own observations on dress...

I left a bank job 16 years ago to set up an independent shop and almost immediately ditched the suits that I had to wear almost every day at the bank.  I was simply tired of them and ready for a change.  I started with mostly a dockers and button shirt dress code.   Five years ago, my office was working some stupid hours on a conversion and we downshifted to jeans and polos/button shirts.  The staff liked it so well, we decided to put our logo on the shirts and make the dress code change permanent, although, on occasion, some staff choose to dress up (not me!).  We've had no complaints and some clients have gone out of their way to tell us that the relaxed dress code made them feel more relaxed as well.   Personally, I've experienced far more success than I ever had in a suit.

I travel the same way and if I've been treated as a 2nd class citizen, I didn't notice.  I traveled to Cabo San Lucas last November for a conference and I saw the same trend I've noticed in recent years...the most successful people were as often as not, some of the most relaxed in dress.  The #1 producer in the company accepted his award and took pictures in shorts and a button shirt.   Sure, there were a few stuffed shirts strutting around like peacocks, but those people were definitely in the minority.  The vast majority of the people there were very nice and a lot of them opted for the relaxed dress code.  My personal experience is, traveling with dress wear is a real pain the the ass...takes more/bigger luggage and it's hard to keep it looking fresh after being stuffed in a suitcase or worn on a long flight.

I was told by a hotel employee that Bill Cook, owner of Cook Medical and the West Baden Springs Hotel was known to walk around the hotel property looking like part of the maintenance crew.  That trend is getting more and more common as most wealthy people I've had a chance to observe, appear to want to blend in rather than be conspicuous.

So...no hate and I won't deny that a well dressed person usually signifies some level of success.  Living in rural southwest Indiana, I personally haven't found it necessary and have enjoyed watching the trend to a more relaxed look in business settings.  If I die and they bury me in a suit, people may have trouble recognizing me.  Think I'll just opt for cremation and save everyone the trouble.

Have at it folks...no wrong opinions here...I'm just repping one man's thoughts.

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I don’t mind a jacket and dress pants, but am not a big fan of full suit/tie. I still have to wear a suit on certain work days, and will wear one if we are going to the theatre or a really nice dinner where a jacket is required. I do feel good in a well-fitted suit, but it’s just a pain in the ass in the summer. Even a summer weight suit has me sweating like a bastard by the time I hit the subway platform. 

Am most comfortable in chinos and a polo or t-shirt. However since the pandemic and a lot of remote work, I’ve really adapted to sweatpants for a lot of the time. Now, when I have to put on jeans or chinos to go somewhere, I complain to my wife about having to wear “hard pants.” 

Honestly, I don’t feel like I’m treated any differently in a suit or more casual dress. I’m always been an “act like you belong no matter where you are” type and people will respond positively to that. Clothes do not make the man.

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@Lostin76 pretty much covered my situation, except it's shorts over sweatpants... And I always wear shorts... One of my colleagues forgot he was in his drawers on a Zoom meeting once when he got up to go get something... He's still known as "The Flasher." 

And I'd have to be forced at gunpoint to wear a suit on an airplane...don't care how I get treated...the Bose over the ear headphones and laser stare at whatever movie I'm watching on my tablet says "Do Not Disturb" very well...

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14 minutes ago, Billingsley99 said:

Dudes and Crocs are my dress shoes these days for sure. Wife hates when I wear the crocs.  I tell her the literally go with everything 

Yes, they absolutely do. Throw on my Sunday visor, or my Saturday afternoon visor, or my day drinking visor..... along with my UA sweatpants (the ones without the fleece) and we've got something. And at this point, I'm just trying to tick my wife off. lol 

Those of you that wear sweat pants, like sweats with the fleece in the them, how? How do you do that? Things get a little HEATED down there when I wear those, if you know what I mean lol 

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15 minutes ago, btownqb said:

Yes, they absolutely do. Throw on my Sunday visor, or my Saturday afternoon visor, or my day drinking visor..... along with my UA sweatpants (the ones without the fleece) and we've got something. And at this point, I'm just trying to tick my wife off. lol 

Those of you that wear sweat pants, like sweats with the fleece in the them, how? How do you do that? Things get a little HEATED down there when I wear those, if you know what I mean lol 

Never have worn the fleece lined but Ayden has a couple pair and loves them

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55 minutes ago, btownqb said:

Yes, they absolutely do. Throw on my Sunday visor, or my Saturday afternoon visor, or my day drinking visor..... along with my UA sweatpants (the ones without the fleece) and we've got something. And at this point, I'm just trying to tick my wife off. lol 

Those of you that wear sweat pants, like sweats with the fleece in the them, how? How do you do that? Things get a little HEATED down there when I wear those, if you know what I mean lol 

I just got these cheap joggers on Amazon and they are the best. Now that I have them I'm noticing that a lot of people have them. They're called G Gradual and are only $30. They fit is great, they hide the junk (and don't over heat it...haha) and they have a nice stretch to them so that ankle cuff doesn't ride up when you sit down. I swear I should be on their payroll for as many time as I've recommended them. 

 

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3 minutes ago, tdhoosier said:

I just got these cheap joggers on Amazon and they are the best. Now that I have them I'm noticing that a lot of people have them. They're called G Gradual and are only $30. They fit is great, they hide the junk (and don't over heat it...haha) and they have a nice stretch to them so that ankle cuff doesn't ride up when you sit down. I swear I should be on their payroll for as many time as I've recommended them. 

 

You might have just found them a new customer lol 

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15 hours ago, FKIM01 said:

Re: Suits.  No hate, but I don't miss them either.  I saw a discussion in the Purdue pregame thread because of coach Woody's wardrobe and rather than take that topic further off the rails, I thought I'd start a conversation here.  Traditionally, conventional wisdom has said you dress for success, but I thought I'd share some of my own observations on dress...

I left a bank job 16 years ago to set up an independent shop and almost immediately ditched the suits that I had to wear almost every day at the bank.  I was simply tired of them and ready for a change.  I started with mostly a dockers and button shirt dress code.   Five years ago, my office was working some stupid hours on a conversion and we downshifted to jeans and polos/button shirts.  The staff liked it so well, we decided to put our logo on the shirts and make the dress code change permanent, although, on occasion, some staff choose to dress up (not me!).  We've had no complaints and some clients have gone out of their way to tell us that the relaxed dress code made them feel more relaxed as well.   Personally, I've experienced far more success than I ever had in a suit.

I travel the same way and if I've been treated as a 2nd class citizen, I didn't notice.  I traveled to Cabo San Lucas last November for a conference and I saw the same trend I've noticed in recent years...the most successful people were as often as not, some of the most relaxed in dress.  The #1 producer in the company accepted his award and took pictures in shorts and a button shirt.   Sure, there were a few stuffed shirts strutting around like peacocks, but those people were definitely in the minority.  The vast majority of the people there were very nice and a lot of them opted for the relaxed dress code.  My personal experience is, traveling with dress wear is a real pain the the ass...takes more/bigger luggage and it's hard to keep it looking fresh after being stuffed in a suitcase or worn on a long flight.

I was told by a hotel employee that Bill Cook, owner of Cook Medical and the West Baden Springs Hotel was known to walk around the hotel property looking like part of the maintenance crew.  That trend is getting more and more common as most wealthy people I've had a chance to observe, appear to want to blend in rather than be conspicuous.

So...no hate and I won't deny that a well dressed person usually signifies some level of success.  Living in rural southwest Indiana, I personally haven't found it necessary and have enjoyed watching the trend to a more relaxed look in business settings.  If I die and they bury me in a suit, people may have trouble recognizing me.  Think I'll just opt for cremation and save everyone the trouble.

Have at it folks...no wrong opinions here...I'm just repping one man's thoughts.

I have pretty much noticed the same. Wearing a suit daily for 10 years pretty much has turned me off of them. Now, they are for wedding and funerals only and not even all the times for those events.  A friend of mine will only wear jeans. If it is a dressier event he will wear a jacket with them.  I feel bad for the dry cleaners because now with WFH, I don't see many places sticking with suits.

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I work in downtown Louisville.  It truly is almost a surprise now to see someone with a suit on.  People in the financial industry, at least in Louisville, just don't wear them any longer.  When I see someone with a suit on, I just assume they are an attorney who is due in court that day.

Pre-pandemic, I used to travel several weeks a year to Chicago for work.  Suits were a little more common there, but still just a fraction of what they were 15-20 years ago.  

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2 hours ago, FKIM01 said:

Cold day...in my office with a logo sweatshirt and jeans on.  This is the part of running my own business that I love.

Cold day... in my home office with jeans, IU socks and fleece IU jacket since its a gameday. This is the part of running my own business that I love.

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I love a good suit. I had a family member work at Nordstrom fir twenty years - the discounts helped me buy most of what I own. 
 

I wear a polo or a button down and jeans or khakis most days. Shorts in the heat. I love a blazer with jeans and dress shoes. Add a nice watch and you look classy while still being Relatively comfortable.

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