Attire at the workplace
With the burst of the bubble, corporate America is back tracking on many issue. Everyone is paradigm downshifting, going back to the days when revenues and profits actually mattered. Some of the starry eyed sense is gone – no more can a supposedly great idea catapult a small group of young ‘nes to riches over night. All of a sudden it is work – hard long work, with incremental results that translates into substantial benefits over the long term.
The “going back to basics” campaign started in the investment banking community. Not needing to appeal you Silicon Valley wonder boys and gals by dressing like them, bankers are back in suits and ties. Talking with my non banker friends, it seems that the trend is spreading. No more jeans. It is often business, rather than business casual, when you meet with clients. So, all over the land it is the tightening of belts and the straighting of laces. As for me, I just started a new job where it is solidly business 4 days a week. It’s been an interesting experience, trying to figure out whether I even have a wardrobe sufficient enough to support such a requirement. After all, it’s been 3 years since I had a client where I had to wear a suit and tie, and 7 years since I worked at a place where such attire was required. Strangely enough, I was in luck. Since for quite a few years there was a significant sales component to my job, I’ve been buying suits over the years. Since it turned out often that I was not wearing suits even on sales calls, they were pretty much new.
This suit business also simplified the morning routine a great deal. Once I got down some basic pattern and color coordination issues out of the way, I can get dressed while still asleep and look okay once I am done. There are few details that require attention – matching of belt and shoes, not wearing button down collars with double breasted suits and the like – but they have not tripped me yet.
The most frustrating thing is the tie. Oh, I can pick them and I can tie them. It’s just they are such a nuisance during lunch time. Not being a fan of food stains on my tie, I tuck the thing into my shirt, which is fine while you are eating, but one has the tendency to forget about it. Then you realize you’ve been walking around with your tie tucked into your shirt, looking like a WWII soldier on liberty leave.
I have a solution though. I just need to find out whether bow ties are acceptable, and then we’ll be all set…
6:22:39 AM 
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