Too Dressy for Business?

I live in TX and I'm about to start working as an accountant (So Much Fun!) Ironically, I just found out that the way I dress is too forward for the environment that I'll be joining. By this I mean, apparently the only people who wear suits are the Partners, top dogs in the firm.

I was told that the fashion progression is as follows:

Staff & "Seniors": slacks & dress shirt
Managers (5+ yrs experience): Blazer
Partners: Suits

There is variation relative to clients and other variables, but as I was told this is generally true, I wonder, is this a TX or even an Accounting phenomenon? Are young business professionals limited to what they should be wearing?

Just wear what the general environment is wearing. You can differentiate yourself by showing some attention to detail or better fits. You don't want to stand out too much unless you're a rainmaker or something...

Texas.

They let you see clients wearing just a shirt?

I've never heard of any of these rules. If you think wearing a suit will hinder you, then don't. And vice versa.

Originally Posted by cmorebusiness

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I live in TX and I'm about to start working as an accountant (So Much Fun!) Ironically, I just found out that the way I dress is too forward for the environment that I'll be joining. By this I mean, apparently the only people who wear suits are the Partners, top dogs in the firm.

I was told that the fashion progression is as follows:

Staff & "Seniors": slacks & dress shirt
Managers (5+ yrs experience): Blazer
Partners: Suits

There is variation relative to clients and other variables, but as I was told this is generally true, I wonder, is this a TX or even an Accounting phenomenon? Are young business professionals limited to what they should be wearing?

Not a Texan thing, just a particular corporate culture thing. Co-workers make or break a job, don't alienate the people you need to get along with. Never hurts to dress nicely, but not to the point where you stick out to those around you.

Every industry incl Manhattan investment banking or SiliconValley tech has its own hierarchy and group-think, despite being allegedly innovative or gun-slinging...

Stuff applies to clothes, cars, chicks, etc: country club ethos of fitting in without being too threatening or embarrassing

And "top dogs" ultimately suck up to top clients, so limit their attire to whatever is deemed acceptable for a senior bean counter by senior O&G execs, who in turn suck up to major investors who own these cos. and determine pay and plane privileges for CEOs who work for them

Originally Posted by Guy-Montag

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Not a Texan thing, just a particular corporate culture thing. Co-workers make or break a job, don't alienate the people you need to get along with. Never hurts to dress nicely, but not to the point where you stick out to those around you.

Wear clothes in sync with your environment...

That's the best sartorial advice you could give anybody in any walk of life...

If you overdo it ,you will take the risk to attract jealousy/resentment and it is not a good thing when you have to work in a team ...

It always better to underdo things than the other way round....

People hate being outstaged by colleagues or evn worse junior ones.

Originally Posted by lasbar

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People hate being outstaged by colleagues or evn worse junior ones.
Only insecure immature shallow-minded and manipulative creeps hate to be outstaged to be exact. Dress whatever way you want and to hell with what anyone thinks. Unless you live in a communist country you are free to do what you want. Stand up for your rights or lose them. It isn't the clothes that alienates you, it's an anti-social personality that does that. Be friendly and approachable in your demeanor and you'll have no worries.

Originally Posted by Man Of Lint

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Immature shallow-minded and manipulative creeps to be exact.

Dress whatever way you want and to hell with what anyone thinks.
Unless you live in a communist country you are free to do what you want.
Stand up for your rights or lose them.

Human nature is quite darker than we think and jealousy/resentment are quite overpowering feelings even to the most level-minded individuals...

If you're a junior position ,you must be far more aware of your working environment etiquette than senior members of staff..

Sometimes being different can work in your favour but it is not the norm...

I bet you whoever told you that is NOT a partner. Wear what you want w/o overly making it seem like you are a rebellious employee(if that is possible!)

Originally Posted by ter1413

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I bet you whoever told you that is NOT a partner. Wear what you want w/o overly making it seem like you are a rebellious employee(if that is possible!)

Just to complete the line of thought here: the implication seems to be that, wearing a suit in this case might make you ....a rebel. I thought I'd never live to see the day.

Originally Posted by lasbar

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Human nature is quite darker than we think and jealousy/resentment are quite overpowering feelings even to the most level-minded individuals... If you're a junior position ,you must be far more aware of your working environment etiquette than senior members of staff.. Sometimes being different can work in your favour but it is not the norm...
We on SF (and other like-minded people) represent the last bastion of those who care about the importance of dressing well and the enjoyment that comes with it, not only to ourselves but to others as well. It is our painful task in life to sometimes teach and encourage others to keep it alive. Who doesn't like the sight of a well dressed man or woman? You bring up human nature. Let's go one step further and bring up nature entirely. Where one assumes the role of the prey, another will assume the role of the predator. Dress as a slave and you will be treated like one. Dress for success and have an agreeable, approachable personality, and you'll be fine. A license is required to drive a car and perhaps a license should be required to wear decent clothing; or learn how to handle the confrontations with some humour and playful assertion. To be fair, were I to work for a good firm that offers a decent wage and benefits but asks that I take off my tie, I will gladly do so since it is a job worth keeping and a small price to pay. Were that the case, I will wear the tie to and from work, but not while at work. It may be one way to comprimise and still enjoy the nicer clothes. A company (with mature management) worth working for however, is more concerned about performance. How one presents him/herself in at work is part of that performance.

...give credit to the company for even having a dress code...

The Ego is such a barracade in the progression of humanity..... a shame you can't even enjoy being yourself agreed if you think it will hinder you, play along with their ego driven heirarchy and dress down. never **** at your dinner table

I work for a big4 firm here in Canada and we have a pretty similar informal dress code. I think we have the same business clothing environment here as in Texas, not super formal like NY where you gotta wear a suit and tie everyday, but not a backwoods place where you can wear jeans all the time either. The dress code is not nearly as set in stone as you describe though, so don't take it like gospel. I'm 99% whoever told you that is another articling student.

Around here, officially you can wear pretty much whatever you want from dockers and a golf shirt to a suit and tie. However you don't want to attract all this strange attention to yourself, so you should dress accordingly to your environment.

If anyone below a partner wears a suit and tie at my firm, people instantly think
A) He's going to a client that requires a suit and tie
B) He's got a job interview somewhere else
C) If he does it enough times, people just start to accept he's got a peculiar sense of style... provided they've already gotten to know him and realize he's not just a weirdo

I'm in my third year here and I wear a sport coat pretty much everyday of the week, but I never wear a tie with it so it so people don't get the wrong idea that I'm trying to show anyone else up. I think by now people have just accepted that's how I like to dress, although the first one or two times I did it, I had partners and admin assistants asking me if I was going to see a client.

I'm guessing you won't have much of a wardrobe if you just graduated. It's good to have one or two suits, but you probably shouldn't waste your money on that, no matter how much SF makes you want to since you'll hardly have occasion to wear them. If you really want to wear a suit, wear it without a tie. It lets you dress up without raising eyebrows, but be warned, it is considered a SF no-no.