Dress Like a Man (7 page)

In tropical climates or warm weather, it is acceptable to substitute a white, self-faced jacket paired with a black cummerbund. Beyond that, colored jackets, cummerbunds, waistcoats, etc. should be avoided.

Confusions About "Semi-Formal" Dress Codes

Of all the terms out there for standards of dress, semiformal (in its hyphenated and unhyphenated versions) is probably the most frequently misused.

The confusion arises from people's perception of a dinner suit as "an outfit that is formal," which leads them to conclude that it is formalwear, and that semi-formal must perforce be more relaxed.

It is not uncommon for people to say "semi-formal" on invitations when they really mean "black tie optional" (where the main participants will be wearing black tie, but guests may substitute a simple, dark business suit).  In some cases it may even be misapplied to still more relaxed events, where guests will be wearing dress casual attire.

Be cautious when all you have to go on is an invitation, particularly to privately-planned and privately-hosted events. If your state Senator is holding a "semi-formal" dinner, he or she probably means it; your cousin or your best friend from high school may not be quite as on-target. Enquire discreetly of the hosts or someone who worked with them on the planning if there's any confusion.

C
HAPTER 12:
B
USINESS
D
RESS

Despite the name, most of the world doesn't wear "business dress" to do their professional work.

The term refers to matched suits worn with neckties, which are only the default attire in a fairly small and influential chunk of the population. It is the go-to uniform in a few highly-paid fields like finance and law, and beyond that is mostly used for infrequent events where a high degree of formality is called for (like ceremonies, court dates, and presentations).

Strict Business Dress: The Gold Standard

Business suits come in a wide variety of colors and styles. They can also be worn a number of ways, with varying accessories.

We'll start this section with a description of
strict
business dress. This is the business suit at its most formal: the outfit you wear when you need to look as serious and professional as possible.

The best business suits will meet all of the following standards:

• At least 98% high-quality wool (worsted is the most common)
  
• A single solid, dark color (charcoal gray, navy blue, or black)
  
• A single- or double-breasted jacket
  
• Notch or peak lapels
  
• Jetted pockets
  
• No trouser cuffs
  

Obviously, everything should be in good quality, and the fit should be tailored specifically to your body (whether that means from-scratch bespoke construction, made-to-measure, or alterations to an off-the-rack suit is largely up to your budget and preferences).

The following items should be worn with your suit for strict business dress:

• A plain white dress shirt (point or spread collar -- not button-down)
  
• A dark-colored necktie (a bit of conservative patterning is fine)
  
• A plain white pocket square in a horizontal or peak fold
  
• Plain black balmoral oxfords
  
• Socks in the same color as the suit trousers (or close to it)
  
• A black leather belt with a small metal buckle (alternatively, suspenders)
  
• A business watch (metal/leather should match your belt/shoes)
  

Resist the temptation to play fast and loose with any of these accents. In other, slightly more relaxed business settings, go for it. But when you want the crispest, strictest form of "business dress" possible, stick to plain, solid colors everywhere but the necktie. Keep the accent items (watch, belt, etc.) slim and restrained, and any visible edges (like the fold of the pocket square and the shirt collar) crisp and straight.

Typical Business Dress

The above description will work great when you're presenting before the board of directors, or giving closing arguments in court, or interviewing for a high-powered position.

Most of the rest of the time, even men whose jobs do require and expect business suits won't need the ultra-crisp, inflexible simplicity of strict business attire.

For basic, day-to-day business attire, the required
items
stay the same: matched suit, dress shirt, necktie, and leather shoes/belt. But the color, pattern, and texture options open up quite a bit, as do some of the tailoring details.

To qualify as a business suit rather than a social one, a suit sill needs to meet some basic standards:

• traditional single- or double-breasted jacket (no unusual button arrangements)
  
• light patterning (pinstripes, gray-on-gray check, etc.) or solid color
  
• no exaggerated features (oversized lapels, etc.)
  
• wool or cotton (no cheap synthetics, and save linen for summer social events)
  

The main goal here is to avoid wearing anything that's so flamboyant or unique that it becomes its own conversation piece. You can express your individuality a bit, but at the end of the day you should still look like someone who works in an office and wears a suit to work.

Just how much uniqueness you're allowed to express will depend on your workplace. Start out conservative until you've got a good feel for things, and then broaden your collection if you find yourself in need of more suits.

Similar to the suit, your options for other clothes open up somewhat, but stay in the same basic family:

• light-colored or lightly-patterned dress shirts
  
• neckties (nothing novelty or in clashing colors)
  
• pocket squares (colored is fine, but never matching the tie exactly)
  
• dark leather shoes (any dressy style is fine, but monochrome only -- no two-tones)
  
• socks can match the trouser or be a deliberate, colorful contrast
  
• leathers and metals can vary, but should match throughout the outfit
  

As you can see, there's a lot more room for expression here.

The same dark suit can become two or three different outfits, just by changing up the style and color of your shoe/belt combination or your choice of necktie and pocket square.

What you don't want to do is try to push the actual boundaries of "business dress" by wearing suits that are too casual or too fashion-forward. Things that are obviously old-fashioned "sporting" styles (think hairy, earth-tone tweeds) or contemporary catwalk fashions (bright colors, unstructured jackets, thin cotton or synthetic fabrics, etc.) aren't good business wear, unless you're in the business of hunting grouse or shooting magazine spreads.

Relaxed Business Dress

It's splitting hairs a bit, but there's an argument to be made that a matched business suit worn with non-traditional accompaniments becomes a relaxed form of business dress that deserves its own category.

This can take a couple different forms. The most common is the basic business suit and dress shirt, worn without a necktie (and sometimes with the top placket button unfastened). You'll see politicians wearing this look a lot during their less-formal public appearances -- it keeps the authority of the suit, but looks more friendly and approachable.

Other variations are based around national costumes. Many South and Central American business and political leaders wear the traditional guayabera shirt under their suits instead of dress shirts, for example, while some South Aisan and Middle Eastern men wear Western-style jackets and ties over skirt-like lower pieces (which go by many names, depending on language, including izaar, futah, sarong, lungi, and more).

These variations are usually assumed to be less appropriate for high-formality occasions like presentations and ceremonies, but can often pass muster for basic day-to-day business wear.

C
HAPTER 13:
B
USINESS
C
ASUAL

If you read the last three chapters straight through in one sitting (we told you not to do that at the start of the book, you know), you might be feeling a little overwhelmed right now.

Dress codes at the highest levels of formality are strict, specific, and no-nonsense. That makes competence with them very attractive, but also a little nerve-wracking for beginners.

Fortunately, we're out of the woods at this point.

The vast, broad dress code called "business casual" isn't really a fixed code at all. It's more a minimum and a maximum standard, between which people are free to do anything that isn't too aggressively
outré
.

Business Casual: The Maximum Standard

The main, key feature of business casual is that it's
not business dress.

That means you're not wearing a suit.

Put an asterisk on that if you really want to -- there are a few casual suits that could be worn, open-collared, in a business casual work setting. But most are designed either for business dress or for social wear, so keep it simple and avoid suits when your goal is "business casual."

So what do you wear instead?

The options run a wide gamut from just slightly less formal than a suit on down to very casual-seeming outfits. At the top end, you're looking at something like this:

• A dark navy blazer, single- or double-breasted
  
• Gray wool slacks
  
• A white (or white with light patterning) dress shirt
  
• A dark, conservative necktie
  
• Black leather dress shoes
  
• Socks to match the slacks
  
• A slim, black leather belt with a small metal buckle
  
• A dress watch (leather/metal should match the belt)
  

As you've probably already noticed, this is just business dress with the suit removed and an unmatched blazer and trousers put in its place. Pretty much everything else is the same.

It's a popular look for men who want to appear respectable but relaxed. Slacks and a blazer are sometimes called "the California suit," as a nod to the West Coast's famously laid-back dress standards.

Keep in mind that, by business casual standards, the outfit described above is pretty formal. It's as high as you want to go. Most of the time you'll want to dress more relaxed than that.

We'll cover the minimum standard in a moment -- just remember that the blazer, slacks, white shirt, and necktie is as formal as you want to go in a dress-casual environment. Beyond that, you're pushing on up into business dress.

(There are sometimes reasons to exceed the going standard of course. Just be aware when you're doing it, and have a reason for it.)