Tatty-looking CEOs? What's The Story?

[ralph124c]

I work for a smallish, high-tech electronics firm. the CEO dresses..rather tatty. Some people might mistake him for a homeless person! This was never the case , years ago. I worked once for the tailor shop of a big downtown department store. the tailors (all professionals) dressed like out of the pages of "GQ" (expensive suits, silk ties, well-cut topcoats, etc.-many wore hats as well). Wht is behind this decline in sartorial standards? I don't think i've ever seen the CEO in a suit! :o

[friedo]

It makes a lot of sense for a tailor to wear a nice suit, doesn't it?

I work in a very white-collar job (software engineering) but I generally wear t-shirts to work. I don't have to interact directly with customers and the boss doesn't care, so why not?

[Rigamarole]

Perhaps he is going undercover, to get more in touch with the common man.

Either that or he just doesn't give a damn.

[cher3]

Some people see formal business attire as something you only need to wear if you have something to prove. There's definitely a "we're above all that" attitude here in southern California, or at least here in San Diego. I've been job hunting lately and was recently chided (gently) by someone who hired me for a consulting job for dressing too formally for my job interview!

As far as I can tell, formal business wear is still the norm in sales/PR/marketing type jobs, but almost extinct in more IT/research oriented work.

[Epimetheus]

Seems to me Business Attire hasn't really changed in quite some time, fashion wise. Me thinks these guys are the trend setters.

I don't think suits are that comfortable or cool (temp), and wouldn't mind seeing them go the way of the dodo.

[Anne Neville]

Some people see formal business attire as something you only need to wear if you have something to prove. There's definitely a "we're above all that" attitude here in southern California, or at least here in San Diego.

Also among techies and geeks.

I'm a geek, and I'm grateful every day that I have a job where no one cares how I dress as long as I'm not indecently exposed :D

[teela brown]

Even in law firms things are getting decidedly more casual. Most attorneys here dress in cords or khakis most days. I know that things are more comfortable now that things are casual, but I still think that a suit on a man is very attractive. A guy in a good-looking suit will turn my head nowadays because the sight has become unusual.

[Spectre of Pithecanthropus]

Smallish, high-tech electronics firm? I'd be surprised if anyone ever wears a suit. Executives and salesmen traditionally wear suits to facilitate their going out and drumming up new contracts, but maybe your CEO does everything online and doesn't have to do a lot of face-to-face calls.