“Every girl’s crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man” --Z.Z. Top 
I can wait as well. I have a short sleeved cowl neck shirt + skirt + 3" heels combo on and instantly everyone assumes I’m dressed up. The only mildly “uncomfortable” thing are the heels and that’s because there’s not too much traction on this particular pair.
It’s like jeans. I have jeans. I wear jeans. I can’t see why people claim they’re more comfortable than softer trousers or (for women) a skirt.
Yeah - I’m well aware that a very large percentage of people (a majority?) seem to expect “professional dress” of at least some people. Lawyers seem to be the biggest group who are expected to “suit up,” followed by financial workers and in general “businessmen” and “bosses/high officials.”
I’m just kind of curious about why that is the case. Seems like a relic of times past that I wonder whether it is trending in one direction or another. Also, this is yet another area where I am curious about the reasons what makes so much sense to me is so at odds with what so many of my contemporaries believe.
Yes, appearances do matter to me to some extent. Basically neat and clean, reasonably well fitting and in reasonably good repair. Heck, my superficiality extends beyond clothes - I readily admit that I am more favorably disposed to people who appear moderately healthy, moderately well groomed, exhibit acceptable hygiene. I do not deny that we are a very visual-oriented species.
But this morning when I saw a couple of guys on the train platform wearing suits, with the temps prdicted in the 90s, my sole thoughts are “Don’t they look like an idiot?” and “Isn’t it silly that they feel the need to dress uncomfortably/impractically just to make a superficial impression on someone?” I consider myself extremely fortunate that through whatever series of choices and fortune I have ended up in a job as a lawyer where I need to wear a suitcoat and tie less than 10 days a year.
There is a very simple reason to get the suit out. You look good in one.
I have no idea what you look like IRL, but I can guarantee you that when you wear a nice fitting suit, [Voice=Fernando]you look marvelous.[/Voice]
I really don’t understand the resistance people show. Wearing a suit is an easy way to make a man look good.
Yum. I love that '40s look on men. zweisamkeit is right. Men wearing well-cut suits are so much more attractive than men in khakis and polos.
So essentially you would like to have a discussion or debate about fashion here?
You’ve conceded that image matters, why is it difficult to accept that different social settings or organizations have different standards for what is acceptable dress? You may not agree with the fashion-sense of an organization that requires suits from its employees, but I don’t see what’s ridiculous about it after you’ve accepted the importance of the images you convey via your dress.
When I visit NSF the division manager always wears a suit, while the panel seldom does. There is nothing inherent in the clothing that speaks to competence, it’s just the culture. Sometimes you might need the example of someone clearly good who breaks the mold.
I wish work here was easy to evaluate objectively. Actually, everywhere I’ve worked, and in grad school also, there has been an understood hierarchy of cluefulness which is far more important than dress.
But in terms of the OP, the answer to why the suit being “because it is accepted” isn’t a great one in lots of cases.
:shrug:for me dress clothes are uncomfortable. I hate dress pants. Dress shirts are OK. Tie? Everyday? No way.
I do work in an office (gov job/programmer) but live in a rough and rugged enviornment. I use 4x4 about 180 days a year. Fancy clothes don’t make any sense at all. I can’t remember when or IF I have ever seen anyone in this county wear a tie as normal work etire.
Jeans and boots are the norm in the winter. Shorts if you want in the summer, but most of us just where some type of long pant.
While we’re at it, why is the conventional business attire for men a suit, where for women, they can (and are usually expected to) show leg–remember when the ladies’ pantsuit was an innovation?–and cleavage. With the exception of Bermuda shorts, men just can’t do this (I’m talking about unequivocal situations where this is the expected standard of dress regardless of what people might do in the mountains of Vermont in January or in the sewer inspection business). Why are women expected to demonstrate their physical assets, even in a business or political situation? Maybe that’s a whole nother thread.
Excuse me? The number one topic I have to address with new women in our office is dressing professionally. Tight clothes, skimpy clothes, short clothes are out. They do not look professional and they are too distracting.
The men in our office are allowed to dress in nice pants and a shirt. They are required to wear suits to closings and court. When they do, they look so much better.
I didn’t mean “dress like a streetwalker.” Professional women wear skirts, just above the knee is usually OK. But why do women show any leg whatsoever? Hillary Clinton showed some cleavage in the Senate, IIRC (although it got much more attention than it deserved). But let a man undo one extra button and he’s a slob.
As a lawyer and now as a magistrate, I’m expected to abide by the unwritten dress code of the courthouse. That means, at least, a sports coat, shirt, tie and pants, and more often, yes, a suit. I don’t mind - I feel more crisply professional when I’m dressed that way, more like a grownup. It’s also a way to demonstrate to those who appear before me that I take my job, and their cases, seriously. I admit it can be uncomfortable in very hot weather, but I can always doff my coat and roll up my sleeves when I’m outside. No biggy.
Most of those who appear before me dress in the Urban Casual mode - shorts and T-shirts are common. Some judges send people home to change when they show up in court like that; I don’t, since we don’t warn people to dress up when subpoenas and summonses are sent out. I wish people dressed up more for court, but I think there’s a strong, longterm American social trend towards casual wear that I’m never going to overcome, so I don’t even try.
I hope the suit never vanishes. The best dressed guy I ever met wore a suit, with vest and tie every day of the year(with an absolutely beautiful leather trench coat in the winter). He looked a bit like Al Pacino, except he was a bit taller.
Everyone wanted to fuck him.
This I just don’t understand. I mean, I guess I understand it, I just don’t personally feel this way.
I am a lawyer, and whether I am pounding the keyboard in my office or arguing in court, in no way do I feel that my performance is enhanced or harmed by what I am wearing. Of course I am not able to control whether the listener/viewer is so ignorant as to be unable to hear my argument if I am not wearing a jacket and tie.
On occasions when I work at home I feel I produce exactly the same quality work in shorts and a shirt - or even a bathrobe - as I do when in my office. It always impressed me as a lack of self confidence or insecurity that people feel the need for a “uniform” as a suit of armor, to lend credibility to the quality of their work. Just do quality work, dammit. I don’t care what you are wearing.
I find this to be a strange comment coming from a lawyer. Would you advise a client to show up in court wearing a ratty T-shirt and ripped jeans or would you have them dress up a bit?
It’s not so much about you actually doing your job better. It’s about giving other people who don’t know you the appearance that you are professional and successful.
Well, several people above have commented on my position that appearance is important, altho suits are not. I advocate clean and well-groomed for most professions other than perhaps heavy physical labor.
In my mind, the freedom to NOT dress up in a particular costume could well be a sign of success. And I guess I am missing something by not equating slavishness to custom I personally consider outdated with “professionalism.”
If I am dealing with another lawyer, my impression of his/her work bears absolutely no relation to whether he/she is wearing a suit or not. I’m just a tad surprised that so many people seem so willing to be swayed by external appearances.
Also, to the extent a business wardrobe (and plush offices) are more expensive to acquire and maintain, as a client I’m not overly interested in paying a premium for them. Like I said, I’d rather pay for quality work. If I go to a lawyer for a will, either they draft a good will or they don’t. Whatever they are wearing when they meet me and draft the will is 100% immaterial to me.
From this thread, it appears I am in a very considerable minority.
Like several other societal mechanisms in place, dressing well serves a greater purpose than simply signifying one’s work ethic. It is a general indicator that one is in good condition (financially, socially, etc.), understands things such as function and culture (of which “uniforms” are a huge part of), and that they possess respect. The last point is the sticking issue for me and it is what the whole dressing issue boils down to in my opinion. Speaking purely in generalizations, those who dress well tend to have much more respect for themselves, their position in life, and those around them when compared to the alternative. When I was younger I decried society’s expectations of dressing well; however as I grew older I began to realize that I was presenting myself to the world through my dress, and by taking the time to look good I was showing that I respected myself as well as anyone I encountered. To me it is not an issue of being a slave to fashion, but rather an issue of using fashion to communicate my respect to other individuals. It is no different than showing proper etiquette in a given setting. Plus, the chicks dig it.
I would hazard to guess that the men you saw on the train platform were a classic case of “clothes making the men” as opposed to the men making the clothes.
I don’t know if I’d go that far or that generalized, but I know the idea you’re saying. When I’m depressed (which can unfortunately happen a good chunk of the time), I don’t feel like bothering to look nice. I’d just throw on some baggy shirt and crappy jeans because who cares, what does it matter?
But on the days where I feel like this but still make myself dress a bit nicer (even if it’s just fitted jeans and one of my favorite shirts with a necklace that looks good), I’ll feel a bit better. No, dressing up doesn’t cure depression 
but it can help when you’re just feeling a bit blah. Almost a form of motivation and telling yourself that you do deserve/ are worthy of looking nice.
The best part of the suit is wearing a tie.
I mean, how else can a man legitimately wear a giant colourful arrow pointing to his genitalia? 
It was a very general statement, but the overall sentiment tends to hold true in my experience. I do the same thing as you (and I am sure many others) when I am depressed, which ties in with the notion of respect. Sure, the person who is dressed poorly could very well hold themselves in high regard; but it would sure be hard to tell that if they didn’t take a few minutes making their appearance respectable. I think dressing well can have an improvement on one’s own life and the lives of those around them. Just as you said it is almost a form of motivation; dressing well can be a way of reinforcing to yourself that you hold your own actions to a higher standard. In my experience, this effect can often ripple out to those you come in contact with.
For the record, there is nothing wrong with fitted jeans, a favorite shirt, and a necklace in my opinion. I don’t mean to come off as an elitist who believes anyone not wearing the “dressiest” garments lacks respect. Choose whatever style fits you and the function they’re worn in best - but you can definitely see the difference between those who take pride in their appearance and those who don’t, regardless of the clothes worn.