To the SFers that don't work in a field which requires suit and tie: When do you actually wear your

Or "Business casual" SC/Blazer and chinos for that mater. In my field (Engineering) slacks and button shirts is as fashionable as it gets. Anything more fancy than that, and people start asking if you're heading for a meeting or job interview. Can't remember the last time I saw a tie around here...



dreamspace said:

Or "Business casual" SC/Blazer and chinos for that mater. In my field (Engineering) slacks and button shirts is as fashionable as it gets. Anything more fancy than that, and people start asking if you're heading for a meeting or job interview. Can't remember the last time I saw a tie around here... 

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I work for a small software company where all of our customers are located throughout the US, so there is no requirement for any kind of dress code.

Most people here are technical, so there's a lot of jeans and t-shirts, and even though our office is located in the downtown core of Vancouver, there is no incentive or requirement to dress any differently.

I work in the Account Mgmt/Support area and so generally my office attire consists of nice trousers and shirts (with sweaters in the winter).

However, because I'm always interested in looking good (and can do it without any kind of recrimination from colleagues), I always wear a jacket/suit and tie on Fridays - kind of a reverse-casual attire - I've been doing this for years.

So, nobody bats an eye - they all expect to see me this way.

We've had variations of this question before. If memory serves, there are several threads about dressing better than the boss. I also work in engineering but not so much fieldwork. I routinely wear my nicer clothes to the office. One day in an elevator, one of the partners commented on that fact and asked why? I replied that if he was willing to roll up his sleeves in the field every other day, the least I could do would be to keep up appearances as they bring important clients into the office and a client would feel more comforted to see a company that is prosperous. It was my attitude to show respect for myself and those who employed me. He must have liked my response. 2 days later, an email was sent to all employees that starting the next day, all male employees were expected to wear a shirt with tie from Monday to Thursday.



MyOtherLife said:

One day in an elevator, one of the partners commented on that fact and asked why? I replied that if he was willing to roll up his sleeves in the field every other day, the least I could do would be to keep up appearances as they bring important clients into the office and a client would feel more comforted to see a company that is prosperous. It was my attitude to show respect for myself and those who employed me. He must have liked my response. 2 days later, an email was sent to all employees that starting the next day, all male employees were expected to wear a shirt with tie from Monday to Thursday.

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Great!



dreamspace said:

Can't remember the last time I saw a tie around here...

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More's the pity!

I work in software. Anything goes (one coworker wears shorts and sandals every day), but I wear nice jeans or cords, OCBD or patterned button down, and leather shoes. My shirts are untucked a lot of the time.

I've generally worked in business casual environments in finance and law. I find the occasional tie and odd jacket does not get much attention as there are often people in the office who are dressed up to meet with clients or for other important meetings. So I'll wear flannel trousers and a dress shirt 3 times a week during the work week, some sort of tailored jacket maybe twice a week and a tie maybe once a week. On the weekend, I usually wear a jacket both days and a tie at least one day.

dreamspace said:

Or "Business casual" SC/Blazer and chinos for that mater. In my field (Engineering) slacks and button shirts is as fashionable as it gets. Anything more fancy than that, and people start asking if you're heading for a meeting or job interview. Can't remember the last time I saw a tie around here...

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Haha I used to get the job interview jabs all the time (software developer). Honestly, the only times I really dress up are when I can force it to happen. This is weddings, New Years, anything where I can not look out of place wearing anything nice (not even a tie, but more casual).

I am a journalist. Most people in my office wear button down shirts and slacks. Some wear their kenneth cole shoes while some will wear their Converse Chuck Taylor. The only people that wear shirt and tie are the more senior editors. I usually wear a full suit to work - usually with a tie, occasionally without. When I'm working on weekends or nights, I'll usually wear slacks with a button down shirt. I am almost always the best dressed in the newsroom - although occasionally the editor-in-chief wears a 3-piece suit. Many of the people who wear suits wear grey or navy. I'll mostly wear plaids.



MyOtherLife said:

We've had variations of this question before. If memory serves, there are several threads about dressing better than the boss. I also work in engineering but not so much fieldwork. I routinely wear my nicer clothes to the office. One day in an elevator, one of the partners commented on that fact and asked why? I replied that if he was willing to roll up his sleeves in the field every other day, the least I could do would be to keep up appearances as they bring important clients into the office and a client would feel more comforted to see a company that is prosperous. It was my attitude to show respect for myself and those who employed me. He must have liked my response. 2 days later, an email was sent to all employees that starting the next day, all male employees were expected to wear a shirt with tie from Monday to Thursday.

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There should be some sort of SF annual award to people like you, who have not only bucked the trend to schlubbiness but inspired a policy change to uphold lapsed standards. Well done sir. Your next mission, should you choose to accept it, is to get a jacket and tie policy enforced in any restaurant in your city. Good luck!



Ianiceman said:

There should be some sort of SF annual award to people like you, who have not only bucked the trend to schlubbiness but inspired a policy change to uphold lapsed standards. Well done sir. Your next mission, should you choose to accept it, is to get a jacket and tie policy enforced in any restaurant in your city. Good luck!

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You, among others perhaps, are familiar with my own work related clothing requirements. Black collared shirt (polo or dress) and khaki or black pants. Depressing. The company even provided black polos with the company logo free to all managers but were not required in case someone chose to go 'upscale' with Nike or Under Armour.

From the beginning, going onto two years now, I have refused to wear the company polo or any other type of black polo with the exception of a long sleeve PRL that I wear sometimes on chillier days. Otherwise, I wear an assortment of better (yet hard to find) black OCBD's that I have found or others here (hat tip to you) have been kind enough to supply me.

A recent gathering of managers was scheduled last fall and a dress code was decreed that vaguely indicated that something better than a polo was expected to be worn. During a conference call among managers a week prior to the event, the boss was trying to describe what he expected everyone to wear to at the meetings and when he felt he had used his entire clothing vocabulary without success, he finally pleaded, "Just wear a Dig Me Now shirt!" Based on what everyone wore to the event, that instruction was crystal clear with 100% compliance among his 17 General Managers.

I was moved. Srsly.

I also wear sport coats daily but that may be too much change to hope for.

Keep fighting the good fight Diggsy. Sensei says the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step! Os!

Funny I was thinking about you as I'm re watching HOC to bone up on events before we start watching HOC2. Keep us informed with your occupational sartorial struggle and any other cameos we should be looking out for!

i never have to wear a suit to work, but i wear one (or a SC and tie) at least twice a week.

I do graphic design for a nutraceutical company, and no one wears anything resembling a suit / jacket here. Polos / button downs, trousers and loafers are the norm here. We have occasion for a suit at maybe 4 company events a year.

I have been looking for a simple cotton jacket that I could wear more casually, and finally found one. A PRL navy jacket unlined, and surprisingly with some canvassing. The kind of casual thing SF would call you out on, if you dared to pair it with a tie and wool trousers. The other day I wore that simple cotton PRL jacket to work. I was quite disappointed to hear various comments about how nice my suit was, which meant It did not pass unnoticed, as I had hoped. Whatever, I'll still wear it anyways.

In any case, Spring and Summer is coming to Florida, and I will have to thread carefully on any extra layering until I can get some linen blend jackets (and trousers honestly).

This question has always been a rough one for SF because it sort of reveals the absurdity of our obsession with tailored clothing... truth is most of us couldn't wear our suits anywhere besides work and special events even if we wanted to. I respect the guys who do, and I sure as hell hope they're pulling it off, but in most of the US it just doesn't fly as acceptable wear. Obviously in certain circles on say the east coast it's a different story; but if you're the normal young Sf-er then the majority of reactions to suits will be negative- anything from douchebag to awkward nerd; being overdressed is not a cool place to be. The fact that errant compliments from females are frantically reported on SF doesn't mean whole lot.

That being said, I think there's a lot more potential for a jacket-less, tie-less tailored look than most people realize. Impeccably tailored trousers and a sturdy dress shirt, even with sleeves rolled up, can be just as much to play with and perfect as a suit; and without the distraction of the suit more attention can focus on awesome shoes. I've always thought that such a look is objectively more flattering to the male physique than the suit, and trends in centuries past tend to support that.