Formal dressing @ work... Anyone?

[Endrik]

"I'll be very honest with you... nah, I think I'll just go with the two hundred"

[Vass]

a big no no, unless you like the old reitred man from Miami look-lol
how about this one? no cowboy boots with a suit, you just can't do that.

You can get away with the cowboy boots in Houston, but not Dallas.

Vass, you forgot that small shop, old money accountants can wear bow ties AND suspenders. Construction execs can wear boots (not cowboy or beatle).

White socks only if you are a talk show host.

True dat on the accountants. But they probably meet either the liquidity requirement or the partner/owner of the firm requirement anyway for the suspenders. The bow ties they get on the eccentric-not-in-a-cat-ownership-way.

[RacerX]

Here's what I'm wearing today: black jeans, black polo, black loafers...and white socks

[Rsmacker]

What? No cock ring?
I'm afraid I never wear suspenders, but I have been seen in a basque and fishnet stockings....

[Hellbat]

I hope you at least shaved your legs first. There's nothing worse than fishnets with tufts of hair poking out all the way up.

[BenoA]

Here's what I'm wearing today: black jeans, black polo, black loafers...and white socks

Any pics???

[Trussrod]

I hope you at least shaved your legs first. There's nothing worse than fishnets with tufts of hair poking out all the way up.

So you're not a fan of the Rocky Horror Picture Show?

[texasfury]

..............

[horns666]

Jesus..Joe Pesci raided my closet!!!

I've been dressing like that since high school!!!

Now my son Vinny does...:ROTF:

[mjtripper]

I know I'm coming into this thread late but some suggestions I would add/repeat are buy once cry once and make sure it fits - and I mean find a good tailor and get a good fit - pants, shirts, jackets, all of it. A guy in a lower end suit that fits will look a lot sharper then a guy in a crazy expensive bag suit. Do not go to men's warehouse. Jos A Banks has some decent stuff but you still have to look it over. The signature gold series is a well made fully canvased suit that will last a while. Just wait for the 3 for 1 sale to pick them up. Go to a real tailor (not one in a large chain store) and get fully measured so you know what you can look for. Fused suits will fall apart on you after a while, they don't pucker as bad or as fast as they used to but they still do. Learn how to tell the difference between fused and canvassed. I had to buy a replacement sport coat on a trip once and the only thing I could find that fit was a palm beach. It looked okay for a couple months, then started to pill, then the lining fell out, seams came out, etc, etc. I do wear my suits/sport coats a lot. If you can get away with slacks/sport coats you will have a much easier time building a wardrobe due to the mix and match nature of it. Mine is about 50/50 between sport coats and suits. You will have to just see what everybody else is wearing - or even ask some of the other guys after you start what is appropriate.

After you learn what brands fit you well and what your sizes run you can save a lot of money by going to outlets, consignments stores, ebay, etc. You can get some killer deals on pieces with little to no wear. Sometimes you can even find deals at places like sierra trading post. This is easier if you can wear sport coats and slacks but can still be done with suits. A little while ago I picked up an Oxxford suit that looks absolutely brand new and after purchase, shipping, and tailoring only ran me $200 - this is about a $2300 suit mind you. If you go down this route I can give you some brands to look for. A good suit will last a LONG time, quite a few of mine are more then 10 years old. Also, and I will probably take crap for this but well fitting and well built suits should be some of the most comfortable clothing you own. Another item that usually gets missed is find some dress shirts that fit even if you have to get them tailored as well. A shirt that billow at the waist can make the best suit look sloppy.

Hints that may or may not have been covered:
Black is usually reserved for highest level execs and dinner events. It's usually okay to wear it if you have to attend a funeral that day from work however
If jackets/suits are required you can normally only take them off in your office, if at all
Cufflinks should only be worn with suits, this one is bending lately though and they can sometimes be worn with sport coats - but wear a jacket of some sort
belt or braces is a personal choice
if you wear a cell phone, your jacket will hang better if you put it in your inside breast pocket and not in a clip
If suits are required that usually means lace up shoes - not slip ons
Buy two or more pairs of shoes so you can rotate them and let the leather dry out
Only dry clean when needed
keep the dust off the clothes
get a clothes brush to keep the fabric in good shape
I'm old fashioned so take all this with a grain or pound of salt - I like my suits/sport coats as they are very comfortable

[wilkinsi]

We have subtle dress code photos on each floor landing. I got an email about it yesterday. Deleted. I don't care what my employer thinks. I'm leaving soon anyway.