Heh. My brother was lying unconscious in the hospital and I noticed his toenails were so long they curled over the front of his toes! It was all I could do to not ask for a toenail clipper or smuggle one in. I was hoping this would be part of the care they gave along with the sponge bath but no such luck.
Speaking of academics and footwear (PDF):
I give no sympathy to men who don’t like to dress up.
It’s sooo easy for you.
If we are talking suit, here is idiot-proof way to go:
Black suit
Go to the men’s section of a department store, like Macy’s
Look at tables of ties laid on matching dress shirts
Find colors you like, pick a shirt and matching tie
Black dress shoes, somewhat squared toe to look more modern
Black socks
Done
Or if it’s a little more casual:
dress pants
button down
nice sweater or sweater vest - something either plain or a bit more modern if it has a pattern (argyle or stripes or something)
dress shoes
Just make sure your colors aren’t clashing, everything fits correctly, and you’re not wearing white socks.
For women it is much more complicated. Skirts aren’t always comfortable or weather appropriate, harder to know how much to dress up because there are way more choices, blah blah. I like the way I look in a dress but I hate wearing them. But when it is appropriate I damn well have one on.
And while most women like a man just fine in jeans and a tshirt…we loooooooooove a man in a nice suit.
I have tried to put those things on, and find them phyisically miserable. All that I am seeing in this thread is people reiterating that this is a cultural norm. Fine. But why? Where did this weird crap come from? Why can’t we wear clothing that is appropriate to the climate in which we find ourselves and be considered well dressed? Seems pretty crazy to me.
Dear Lord, those are foul.
I hate, hate, hate dressing up! Expensive clothes I don’t like and feel extremely uncomfortable in. Sure it may be the cultural norm, but why and how did it become the norm? And why can’t we change it?
Nametag I don’t give a damn what most people think. Unless your my boss, I’m about to ask you for a big favor, or your an attractive single woman, why should I care what you think of how I’m dressed?
Wow, I’m getting some major negative vibes from this thread. Whence all the hate people?
Is it so wrong to sometimes want to be able to wear different things in a business setting? And, they are annoying to wear sometimes. Of course women’s clothing is much more difficult and complicated, but I mean he’s just venting a little bit, and some of the above posters have been a wee bit snarktastic.
I was going for creative, not necessarily functional or attractive. Apparently those weird tight short Thom Browne suits in the first link are all the fashion rage in New York, but personally I think they look downright silly.
I do like the brocaded jacket in the link on the period though.
I also find that they look more intelligent. Don’t exactly know why that is, but it is…
The OP also mentioned having to style his hair differently when wearing a suit, and that people complement him. It’s a hint, honey, a really big hint. If people say you look better dressed and styled a certain way, that means there is something not quite so great about the way you look normally…whether you like it or not. It may be your unique style…but that doesn’t automatically make it attractive to others.
I agree. There’s so much room for creativity in business attire - way more than casual wear if you know what you’re doing. I mean, if nothing else you have extra attire to play with. Compared to jeans and a t-shirt - what can you really do with it? t-shirts are all cotton jersey material. You get to pick a color and print some stuff on it, which is fine, but not my idea of creative potential.
Here’s the thing. I get complimented on for my creativity, and my style, with what I wear in everyday life. Quite often, actually. Thing is, it’s a given, that when I’m dressed in the “dress code”, I will be complimented, regardless. I can wear a white shirt, black jacket, black tie, black pants, black belt every day and people will still compliment it… See what I’m saying here? There’s no originality or creativity in it… I look like every other guy. Why the heck would that deserve a compliment?..
I’m beginning to see that it’s the fact that it’s locked into people minds that this attire makes men look more mature and established being that it is primarily required in any business setting. And for that reason, you women are more attracted to it the same exact way we’d be attracted to a women who was dressed in the same manner. This is why most men are succumbing to the code, because they know they can look like they are apart of a certain criteria of men. They feel apart of the “in” crowd. I’m actually starting to notice homeless guys dress like this simply because they can approach you and you’ll automatically assume they are well established, intelligent, and mature. Therefore, giving them a better shot at getting money or conning you.
I just couldn’t see how you women would actually be attracted to the outfit itself. It’s plain, for the most part. Everyone else wears it. It looks ridiculous. And it’s been around for over 100 years (which is why it looks ridiculous). Basically, what you are all saying is that you wouldn’t even think twice about a mans creativity, maturity, wealth, etc while dressed normally, but should they be dressed in the code you look at them in a completely different way, simply because the code was made for mature, intelligent, established people.
Are you suggesting I throw away all of my normal clothing, never buy any more of it, and fall under the category of a “suit and tie” for all of you to become interested in me (Me, as in all men)? It’s a shame. Our style is what sheds light on our personalities because it let’s us use our creativity to show who and what we are. Go check out people’s Myspaces and you’ll get the picture. We all have creativity and love to show it off, as well as enjoy being able to change it up over time. But since this image holds “power” you look past that and think nothing of it.
Let’s say every man in the world were to wear the same exact attire (see the links in my next post), everyday- work, school, grocery shopping, dinners, at home, everywhere(were getting to that point). How would you judge them then? Would that mean they were all intelligent, mature, established? Would you you be attracted to all of them equally? What would set them apart? How would you judge one’s personality and character?
You’re missing the main point. You’ve just shown me an example of 4 outfits of all the same articles, but in different colors, textires. I just want to understand why these specific articles are considered to be dress attire. And those all look ridiculous. Problem is that guys in general hate having to wear these costumes which is why only now they are starting to make alternatives which will fit in, but that is not working for the most part since people are locked onto a certain image. It’s that, with this attire, there are only so many combination’s you can wear without looking like a total goofball.
Here are some examples of people in everyday life in different settings.
In settings like this it’s ALWAYS inappropriate to wear certain colors, textures, and designs. I don’t see any of your examples being used in these settings. Why do these particular items have to be required in so many settings.
This image has limitations: Anything else is socially unacceptable.
Long-sleeved button-up collared shirt - White, Black, Silver, Dark Blue in some cases.
Slacks and Dress Pants-Black, khaki in some cases, and dark gray.
Dress Shoes-Usually limited to black, and sometimes brown
Long-sleeved button-up collared jacket - Black or dark gray
Tie-Colors/Designs are vast, but limited to fit color scheme.
Belt-Usually limited to black or brown. In some cases white. Also must have a certain buckle.
Hairstyle-Very limited. Sometimes requires a part in the hair.
This has been the norm for well over 100 years… can’t we be allowed a little bit of creativity?
This will change one day… People are trying desperately to modify the image.
A agree with you, there is many, many, variation to dress attire, but those variations are only acceptable in rare situations because most of it looks unorthodox…
There are more variations to regular clothing, by far. You must not wear it much is all or see it on a daily basis because you’re so used to seeing people wear the same thing. You’d be surprised what is out there, for both men and women. Most men don’t know how to express themselves with their image, so they stick with the t-shirt and jeans because it is simple, common, and gets the job done. Go check out the people in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London… There is so much people are unaware of. Most of the people express their own styles. Why? Because everyone else is doing it, and they know these options are available… and it shows them they can break out of the barrier of the norm.
We are only on the brink of being able to show our personality through our clothing with more variations being invented, but it’s soon going to take over and everyone will have a more unique image.
FWIW, I’m a 24 year old male.
Can I put in a vote for hating dress clothes? Growing up, the only times I had to wear dress clothes (or saw my father wear them) were funerals, family reunions, and weddings. I can’t stand any of these incredibly stressful events and I think I now have some sort of Pavlonian response ingrained in my brain that associates wearing suits and the terrible feelings you get at these gatherings.
Seriously, my last job interview I had to sit in my room in my suit for almost an hour to calm down enough that I wasn’t noticably breathing hard and freaking out. I still flopped the interview because I’m lucky to be able to talk when in that state, let alone relax. I can almost do khakis and a button up shirt now, if I try really hard not to think about what I am wearing. Or I can do a nice bright yellow suit fine (wore to my H.S. prom) because it is just silly enough to not count.
Give me jeans and a hooded sweatshirt if you want me performing my best.
I don’t actually object to the look of dress clothes, but they just seem to fail on several basic design issues, chiefly that – as I’ve said before – you have to keep the jacket on at all times if you want to maintain that Cary Grant/“North By Northwest” look. Take it off and you look like a hardware store clerk, and if you drape it over your arm anything in the pockets is apt to fall out.
For me personally, I can never find slacks that fit well, and my keys, coins, etc., always fall out of my hip pockets when I sit down in a car. (I don’t like to use the back pockets for yet another shortcoming these “pants” have–which is that there tends to develop a little tear at the edge of a back pocket, if you keep your wallet in it.
Wearing a suit is like giving head: you do it as often as is necessary, though as rarely as is possible, for those who will appreciate it most, in hopes that eventually, you won’t ever have to do it again.
Fashion world has been there done that , called IBM
Declan
OH SWEET JESUS! The horror! Most of the rest of your clothes end up on the floor or something?
Epic, one reason suits look good is that they’re designed to accentuate characteristics that are traditionally considered attractive in men, broad shoulders, deep chest, and a slim waist.
I’m glad I live in Denmark, since the dress code here is pretty relaxed…having said that, most people dress well anyway. In the UK if you say you can come in in “business casual” then someone will come in wearing ripped jeans, in DK they will still be pretty smart.
My usual routine is that on my first visit to a customer I will wear a suit with a shirt and tie, after that I will most likely wear a suit with a black long sleeved t-shirt as opposed to a shirt and tie (sometimes substituting the suit for smart trousers and jacket). It’s still smart, it still looks respectable…but I feel a lot better than when wearing a shirt and tie. Oh and I don’t own a single white shirt, mine tend to be black, dark grey or dark blue…white shirts just remind me of school way to much, even after all these years.
In the office, since we always visit the customer at their site, I tend to wear jeans and a black long sleeved t shirt…still looks relatively respectable but is more relaxed.
…yes, my friends take the piss out of me for the amount of black, long sleeved t shirts I have, I just like them!