But Seriously. . .

This post may sound like a rant, so I apologize in advance.

This month I spoke at UCSB, during one of its “Learn at Lunch” events. There was a super turnout with about 50 people in attendance. What I learned was how many of them find shopping frustrating and how hard it can be to break old shopping and style habits. I addressed a lot of their dilemmas and want to go further into one concern that repeatedly arose: finding work attire that is both good-looking and comfortable. I insist that those two qualities are not mutually exclusive.

Here is what I hate seeing: someone dressed so casually for work that he or she might as well be in pajamas. To me a very casual outfit says: "I don’t care about my job. You don’t need to respect me, and I am not trying to get promoted." For example, last week my daughter had a substitute teacher who wore baggy cargo shorts (one of my least favorite men’s looks!), a wrinkled short sleeve shirt, white socks, and tennis shoes. While the students may have not given much conscious thought to his attire, the message it sent was, “Hey man, I am just here temporarily. You don’t need to take me seriously." And they didn't. The class was unruly and loud when I arrived to volunteer that day. I think (and research bears this out) that if the man had been in nice slacks, a dress shirt, and even a tie, the students would have taken him much more seriously. Moreover, the principal and secretary (who makes a lot of the decisions at the school) would have also taken him more seriously, perhaps even calling him first when they needed another substitute teacher down the road.

It never hurts to dress up, to show respect for yourself and your job and your co-workers.