The office managers where I work currently look down upon how I dress. I dont think that I dress as disgracefully as they make it out to be. On a normal day I’m wearing a pair of black dress shoes, beige or black khaki pants and a button up shirt - solid colors, no fancy patterns. I don’t normally wear a tie, but I’m also not meeting with clients on a daily basis.
I have a meeting this week with several very well-to-do clients and it has been brought to my attention by my manager that I am a scuzzy dresser and there is fear that I will embarrass the clients.
I have been told to wear something that “blends in” with the group.
My question:
What should I wear to a business meeting that will allow me to blend in with the rest of the stuffy, rich old farts? I am likely to be looked down upon, scorned and ridiculed behind my back because I don’t drive a Mercedes or shop at Moda on a regular basis. I don’t particularly care about the criticism considering it’s source. I would, however like to present a professional image to the company I am representing. I will be wearing a tie and coat to the meeting, but my gray shirts just aren’t the right color of gray, according to the office, and I guess my khaki pants aren’t expensive enough. So, I am a little confused as to what I should do.
Ask the office manager who’s raised the issue with you. He’s the one who is setting the dress standard in your office, not a bunch of scribes on the internet.
On several occasions I’m wearing something almost identical to what my managers are wearing. The only exception being that my clothes are from Target and theirs are from Macys
Macy’s clearance can be just as cheap (if not cheaper) than clothes from Target, and they’ll last longer*. They have quite a few dress shirts on sale for about $10-20.
*Not knocking Target, I love it, but in my experience the clothes don’t last as long, or at least they look worn/ratty sooner, than some other brands.
As gently as I can say this, it sounds like you’re fashion challenged. Not all shoe-pants-button-down combos are created equal. This is a lesson I had to learn as well. From personal experience, I’ve found that it’s not the checklist that does it – a really nice pair of pants and a nice button down shirt with a simple pattern (stripes or something) from a hip store, even without a tie or jacket, will look better than the tried-and-true tan pants + blue coat + white shirt + red tie that everyone seems to have as a staple somewhere.
I’m somewhat young, so I skip Macy’s altogether and go to Banana Republic, J. Crew, Express, etc. It’s expensive, but you can shop smart – 1 nice pair of slacks and 2 nice shirts with a couple of interchangeable ties (that you can buy elsewhere) will set you back around $200 but will offer a lot of versatility. Add a sweater and a sport coat to that and you’ve got enough style to last you for a couple of years worth of special occasions.
You can do the same thing at Macy’s, possibly for less, but then you’re somewhat reliant on having your own sense of style – it’s entirely possible to come out of one of those stores looking either like a 14 year old kid trying to look good for Christmas dinner, or an old man. The stores I mentioned earlier generally don’t stock anything frumpy, and sometimes it’s OK to pull the trigger on something that your gut is telling you is too trendy.
I wouldn’t try looking stylish with Target clothes unless you’re in high school or you really, really know what you’re doing.
Best bet is to mimic as well as you can. Pay attention to the cut, fit, and details, and don’t get anything with pleats.
I don’t think khaki pants at any price are going to impress your superiors. Like it or not, they are probably dressed in worsted wool (or a wool blend) slacks.
It might help if you tell us what kind of work you do and where you are located, in order to provide context.
Khaki pants and a solid shirt (might as well throw in a leather web belt and some Kenneth Cole Reactor square toe dress shoes) looks very “Hi! I’m AK12345 the new intern and I just bought my first set of work clothes at the Target!”.
You’ll have to adjust for your budget, but if work clothes matter in your office, I recommend investing a little more in your wardrobe. Personally, I like Brooks Brothers because they have a timeless conservative look, the clothes are good quality and they they aren’t too expensive (relatively speaking). You don’t have to go crazy dressing overly preppy with bizzare madras jackets and pastel pants either. We aren’t trying to turn you into Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl.
There are two basic looks you want to go for here.
Sport coat, dress pants, no tie
I recommend dark dress pants - grey, blue or black, with a contrasting jacket. You generally don’t want to mix and match too many patterns so as to appear like an optical illusion. So for example a subtle plaid patterned grey jacket, black pants and a solid white or blue LONG SLEVE shirt with a SPREAD COLLAR (no button down).
Suit and tie
This is simpler as you only have to match the shirt and tie with a grey or navy suit. No black. You aren’t a CEO, a mortician or Agent A.
As Brooks Brother’s clothing can be expensive, an alternative is use their website as a style guide, but the actual clothes someplace like Banana Republic, Macy’s or Men’s Warehouse. Although I have to tell you someone who is around suits a lot can generally tell the difference in quality and the price difference ends up not being all that much.
Most people, however, can’t tell the difference in quality if the suit is tailored well. So you can get away with buying an expensive tie and saving money on the generic dark suit.
Your thread title included the phrase “formal business meeting” so I’d say just wear a suit and tie. You can’t be faulted for wearing a suit and tie to a business meeting, I think. A haircut, clean shave (if your not bearded) and well pressed shirt to go with the suit and tie should be enough.
I’m kind of wondering why your boss would be anxious about your clothes. Is there something else going on in the office?
I could be wrong in my assumptions (I have been before), but here goes…
I find it interesting that nowhere in your post do you say anything about wanting the business that these clients are or will be bringing. These statements especially stand out. These clients may represent hugely profitable business to your company, and instead of just dealing with the dress issue and turning your concerns and energies towards planning strategies and whatnot for what could be a very important meeting, you’re calling them “stuffy, rich old farts” and are worried about them looking down on you.
You may need to change your clothes, but if I can offer a friendly suggestion that is not meant to offend, you may want to change your attitude. You may not want to meet these clients, you may not think much of them, you may feel that meeting them is a waste of time–and those are all OK to feel before the meeting. But when the meeting comes, you want to look good (and Huerta88 and acsenray have good advice here), and you want to give them the idea that there is nothing you’d like better than to meet and to discuss business with them. You and your colleagues will be Your Company Inc. to these clients, and so you’re going to have to stop being yourself for a little while.
Later, of course, you can go back to being yourself, to calling them stuffy old farts and to your normal way of dress. But for a little while, you’re going to have to look and think differently. Just a friendly suggestion.
Yes I have. And I take that to mean that you work in the fashion industry? In that case you need to come to work in the next few days in the same outfit you intend to wear at the meeting, and ask your boss if that’s OK.
Shave, make sure your clothes are freshly pressed, and your shoes have a nice shine on them, and your belt color matches your shoe color. Limit the jewelry to one ring, (college ring or wedding band, etc.) and a nice watch.
For instance, I used to work out before I came to my job. I would dress in shorts and a tank top and go into the locker room and change into my uniform
H/R told me to stop this. I said, “Why, I’m dressed in a uniform.” She said “We don’t want you wearing shorts and a tank top to work.” I replied “but I change when I get here and besides a lot of other people wear shorts and a tank top.” She said, “Yes, Mark but not with the same results.”
I have a nice body and evidently people were talking. So it’s not only WHAT you wear but HOW you wear it.
Do your clothes fit? Are your pants too short? Are they in good repair? Are you wearing athletic socks which you can see all the time because your pants are too short, and then the bottoms of your pants are frayed? I know a lot of guys who would protest that they’re “wearing the same thing as the other guys” but they’re wearing visibly worn Target khakis that have shrunk in the wash. With cargo pockets on them. While their coworkers’ “khakis” are tan-colored wool pants that have been hemmed properly.
The thing is, this is your boss telling you you look like crap, right? It doesn’t matter what you think of the advice, what matters is that your boss told you you’re doing something wrong and you had better fix it or find alternate employment.
