Why are you so dressed up?

[Bradford]

Do you get asked this question a lot?

I seem to get it every few weeks. Even though our office has a dress code that requires shirt and tie for the men, people tend to comment on my attire more than others.

If I wear a full suit people ask if I have a meeting or why I'm so dressed up.

Maybe it's because I tend to keep my shirt tucked in, wear decent dress shoes, mix colors and wear cuff links, suspenders, pocket squares and hats (although not necessarily all at once).

Is it that rare to be well dressed in our society today or is just among sloppily dressed government workers I stand out?

No poll, just wondering if other members get this same reaction.

 

[Saltricks]

Yes, all the time. Seriously.

One thing is that I'm younger (23), so all my friends look like they just got out of college (because they did!). Flip flops, shorts, beer tshirts galore...so I stand out a little bit. It's worse because im in California, where even the successful are dressed pretty horridly.

Just grin and bear it, it's unavoidable. If anyone says anything, just start singing Barney's suit song.

 

[Bradford]

I'm in California as well, so that makes sense.

The other thing I get is that people here comment that I look like I'm from the East Coast. I guess wearing a suit and tie in California gives people that impression.

Sing the Barney suit song. For a minute I was trying to remember if Barney the Dinosaur had a suit song, then I realized you meant Stinson... Suit Up!

 

[Saltricks]

Yes, sometimes I feel like I should move to NY, but I like it too much here!

On the plus side, I usually get better service and I don't feel intimidated by posh shopkeepers when I shop at South Coast Plaza or Rodeo. Getting stopped by random people who ask about my clothes is pretty good for the self esteem as well. This usually happens when I'm wearing something OTHER than the typical navy blue.

Edit:
I usually get, "Are you going to an interview?". To which I say "Yes. You're always getting interviewed by everyone you meet." Never know who you'll run into. I actually got my job because a doctor I met was so impressed with how I "presented myself" that he gave me a job in marketing. How much of that was from my clothes, I can't say, but it did have some effect on his perception of me.

 

[Master Squirrel]

Luckily I get more, "Wow do you look nice?". But occasionally get the "Where do you have the interview at?"

 

[ChicagoMediaMan]

Originally Posted by Bradford

Do you get asked this question a lot?

I seem to get it every few weeks. Even though our office has a dress code that requires shirt and tie for the men, people tend to comment on my attire more than others.

If I wear a full suit people ask if I have a meeting or why I'm so dressed up.

Maybe it's because I tend to keep my shirt tucked in, wear decent dress shoes, mix colors and wear cuff links, suspenders, pocket squares and hats (although not necessarily all at once).

Is it that rare to be well dressed in our society today or is just among sloppily dressed government workers I stand out?

No poll, just wondering if other members get this same reaction.


I get it a lot too.

If people comment on you wearing a full suit or jacket, having your shirt tucked in, or wearing decent dress shoes, then that is truly sad. I could see people commenting on suspenders and hats as they aren't too common nowadays. Cufflinks and pocket squares are pretty common where I work, but I could see a sloppily dress government office as not being all that familiar with these accessories.

 

[spoozy]

Same here...i´m working in a media agency with lot of creative folk around, who normally don´t give a rat´s ass about clothing.
If we got to see the client, sartorial nightmares are common practice, not exceptions. And if you´re lucky and you´ll find someone wearing a suit, it´s most likely black, with a white shirt and black shoes. When worn right, this looks good, but believe me, most of the time it´s just giving pain...

So, i kinda stick out with colourful shirt / shoe / jacket / bow tie / tie combinations...but the questioning decreases, as people seem to get accustomed to my game. Some even try to copy me, even if it only means wearing chukka boots with good-fitting pants and a slim shirt

Anyways, as long as you don´t offend anyone in getting dressed up, go for it. Only be sure you are not mistaken for being cocky, but rather creative, individual, a little crazy....stuff like that.

 

[Saltricks]

This reminds me of a time even before I started wearing suits. I had a dress shirt that had become untucked as we walked to a house party. I stopped for a second to tuck it in, and my date said to me, "Wow, you're the first guy I've seen tuck in his shirt without someone telling him to do so."

My soul died just a little that night.

 

[Steve Thomas]

I work for a publishing company and you should see the looks and comments that I (along with my boss...I think we're the only ones in the company who consistently wear nice fitting shirts and ties) get:

Do you have a job interview? Court date?

And I'm not even that "dressed up." I wear slim fitting dark jeans or casual pants, slim-fit shirt (usually in a color or micro check), a tie, and nice shoes. If I layer with a sweater or vest it makes people even more uncomfortable.

The go-to business attire in our office (we're in the Midwest): way too big jeans or pleated Dockers, your favorite college team t-shirt or some free-be trade show polo or golf shirt (again...way too big and the sleeves on the polos almost always touch the elbow or slightly below), and tennis shoes (because those dress shoes are just so uncomfortable...I mean especially since the farthest any one has to walk around here is from their car to their desks).

 

[bleachboy]

I mentioned this in Quick Question the other day.

Black people always tell me how great I look, while white people are almost condescending in asking me why I'm so dressed up.

 

[Steve Thomas]

Oh...and forget about it if I wear a bow tie. I think that just about makes heads pop.

 

[Spark]

I hear it all the time - though someone asked me if I "was from Milan?" the other day...

My standard response: Shrug, roll of eyes upward, and a deep sigh followed by the words "Probation hearing."

Seems to do the trick.

 

[suited]

Originally Posted by Bradford

Do you get asked this question a lot?

I seem to get it every few weeks. Even though our office has a dress code that requires shirt and tie for the men, people tend to comment on my attire more than others.

If I wear a full suit people ask if I have a meeting or why I'm so dressed up.

Maybe it's because I tend to keep my shirt tucked in, wear decent dress shoes, mix colors and wear cuff links, suspenders, pocket squares and hats (although not necessarily all at once).

Is it that rare to be well dressed in our society today or is just among sloppily dressed government workers I stand out?

No poll, just wondering if other members get this same reaction.

In other words they're asking you "why do you look nice". Rephrase their own question for them and see if they understand how pointless it is.

 

[Gibonius]

I'm an academic, so the attire runs the whole spectrum. I've seen a very few wearing suit+tie+pocket square, seen a lot doing the polo/khakis bit, and one guy who wears Vibram Five Fingers, shorts, and a t-shirt. No one tends to comment if I wear a jacket, but people comment on ties. Wearing a full suit will get comments about half the time. I've had a number of students tell me I'm the best dressed professor around (not high praise really), and a few ask me if I was crazy for wearing a suit in the heat. I just tell them that I can wear whatever I want, and I like doing this.

 

[Saltricks]

Originally Posted by bleachboy

I mentioned this in Quick Question the other day.

Black people always tell me how great I look, while white people are almost condescending in asking me why I'm so dressed up.

A little obtuse, but yes, this is true.

The majority of compliments come from black guys. If it IS a white person, they are either:
1. well dressed themselves
2. some crazy person who looks like he played a stunt double for emmet brown in back to the future