By Alok Joshi
Generally many men feel that paying attention to manner of dressing is a feminine trait. It is a waste of time and money. They believe that what matters is performance at work and the way they dress is insignificant. Agreed, you may not be in the business of looking good. But don’t you want to “feel good” about the way you dress and look? And the most important reason we need to feel good about ourselves is that it helps to boost our self-confidence.
Dressing well is an art which is learnt, not inherited. We may have role models whom we like to emulate. For me it was my father. He was meticulous about dressing. He did not have luxury brands but whatever he wore complemented with his personality. I used to observe him and it must have influenced me.
Once in my job abroad as an executive coach, I was confronted with an unusual request from a middle-aged Vice-President of a famous international business house. He wanted to be coached on how to dress appropriately to help him climb up the corporate ladder.
I tried to wriggle out of the situation saying, “Dressing is a personal choice. Moreover, it is a sensitive subject.” He told me honestly, “I am good at my job but feel lacking in the way I dress for work.” His persistence and humility forced me to agree to his request.
I began by explaining that one needs to dress according to the occasion. There are different dress requirements, namely casual (comfortable clothing), business casual (normal office wear), smart casual (combination of casual and business casual), formal (business suit with tie) and semi-formal (fancier than business attire).
If one wants to look professional then one needs to take one’s work-wardrobe seriously. First, determine which dress code is appropriate for your current position and follow the “+1/-1” Rule”. You can always dress one level higher to your advantage if you aspire to rise through the ranks. The only time you should dress one level down is on a casual Friday or a relaxed event.
One basic rule of thumb is “the more you deal with a client’s money, the more traditional and conservative you can be dressed”. That means finance, law and accounting officials, for instance, should stick to business attire while those in creative industries like entertainment and advertising can dress flexibly within the casual levels. If you are member of the board or meeting a member of the board, boardroom attire is most appropriate, irrespective of the size of the company.
I gave him some more basic tips as guidelines, which may be relevant for all men who wish to improve their dress sense or want to change the way they look.
Let’s start from the bottom.
When people look at you, they first look at your shoes and then move up gradually. Make sure your shoes are clean and don’t look worn out. Your shoe colour should match your belt. Never wear white socks with black shoes. It looks like a school uniform. Don’t let your tie fall beyond your belt line. Your shirt should be neatly tucked in. The belt you wear should not show holes that bear testimony to your increasing belly size. Avoid scaring your girlfriend, make sure to wear quality underwear. T-shirts should not be tucked in unless you are going to play golf or want to project a middle-aged fatherly look. Don’t wear sneakers to office unless it is your company’s sports day. The tie should match with your suit or your shirt. The suit should fit well according to your body shape.
We often ignore these small things when we dress. In the beginning, they might appear cumbersome and unimportant but later they will become a part of your daily habit. You are not supposed to always go for expensive brands. What matters is the style, fabric and colour that suits your overall unique personality.
So, guys “love yourself” and take a little bit of pain to follow these dress basics if you wish to make an impact on others.
(Alok Joshi is an HR Advisor, personal coach and freelance writer and author of two books including “12 Sweet & Sour Years in China”.)
