Men's fashions

[ewmon]

I should probably ask this in a fashion forum (uh, where would they be?), but here goes.

 

It's time for me to buy a new suit for the technological workplace (on the job, on interviews, etc), and I'm wondering what is considered fairly standard out there. Not being a fashion horse, I simply don't know, and I don't trust the retail people not to push me into a suit that's out of fashion.

 

I'm average height and weight: 5-10 and 160 lbs.

 

So, for example, I'm looking for something standard/formal (ie, "timeless"), so I'm thinking dark blue, two buttons, no vest. So far, so good -- I hope. But pleats are out of fashion, aren't they; and if so, how long ago (because I have a suit with pleated pants that I like)? Other than that, I personally don't like pants cuffs, and I know there's three general styles of suit cuffs, but I forget what they are or which is the most "timeless".

 

Other attributes: lapel width, number of vents, pocket design, etc?

 

And what about dress shoes and ties?

 

As for fashions, does the science/high-tech industry have different standards from the rest of business?

 

Any suggestions?

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Here's an overly-detailed guide which is meant for the young and hip:

 

 

My limited knowledge is that tie width should match lapel width, which should match how wide you are: no fat ties and lapels on skinny people.

 

As far as I know, the high-tech industry has lower standards than everyone else.

 

You can get an idea of what's in fashion now just by looking at the catalogs of new brands, although there are some abominations mixed in sometimes:

 

http://www.indochino.com/collection/Suits

[ecoli]

I can't stand pleats b/c they make me look slobbish and I'm pretty slim. However, if they look good and feel comfortable, They probably go in and out of fashion though and you wouldn't look out of place wearing them. Especially in scientific/academic settings where nobody really cares about fashion as long as you look clean.

[imatfaal]

Not sure where you are Ewmon - in the UK you can always get away with classic suits that have practically been unchanged for the last 80-90 years (think Ed and Mrs Simpson). Any fashionable choice can be judged as good or bad - but the classic line will always be completely acceptable. Difficult to top Austin Read for a nice classic suit - and they will adjust it to fit well if you ask nicely

 

http://www.austinreed.co.uk/fcp/categorylist/dept/mens-suits?resetFilters=true

[Xittenn]

Here's something from Burberry that I had posted a couple of years ago on gamedev.net in reply to a young gentlemen going for an interview at Google. I am of the opinion that suits specifically, are for monkeys, and that if you wish to present as someone worth hiring for their exceptional talents it is best to show exceptional taste. One can show a much higher quality by demonstrating a fashion ethic (not to be confused with ethical fashion.) The idea isn't that you go and buy jeans so that you look defiant, the idea is that you dress in a similar fashion to how you would everyday, but with some extra added class. If all you wear are jeans than buy a new pair that fit perfectly. If you wear t-shirts everyday, buy a well fitting black unstarched almost t-shirt but has buttons, and dress it up with a nice jacket. It's a very complicated topic, but where most believe the suit and tie to be the most appropriate, I think you might find that in reality it just isn't so. Organizers and compartmentalized hand bags say "hi, I am a busy person and I keep my busy creative thoughts focused and on paper!" Just my opinion though . . .

 

 

 

 

Modern Amusement

 

Edited April 27, 2012 by Xittenn

[Joatmon]

I have had to interview people in the past and there is no doubt in my mind that first impressions count. The first impression, before anyone speaks, is visual. Also, logical or not, prejudice cannot be avoided. I last had the task of conducting interviews about 30 years ago so things may be a bit different today - but human nature doesn't change and so I doubt it. I would expect someone seriously wanting to make a good impression to err toward the formal rather than the casual. Definitely wear a suit and tie. Make sure you have a clean shirt and clean shoes - not sandals. Don't worry about lapel width, pleats or not, and tie width - be more concerned with personal cleanliness paying attention to details such as finger nails. Make sure your hair has been recently had attention from your barber. As I've admitted, prejudice cannot be completely ruled out and I would find today's fashion for metal studs and face tattoos a real turn off. Just as important as dress try to look your interviewer(s) straight in the eye, smile and look confident. now accept the offered chair and let the interview proper start!

Edited April 27, 2012 by Joatmon

[zapatos]

Unless you are applying to a place that is 'young and hip', I'd have to go with a suit and tie. If it is 'young and hip' then I have no idea. You will be current if you are buying now because current is what they are selling now. Buy it from some place that sells suits for a living and let them guide you on what to buy. After all, making you look good is what they do for a living. I'd lean toward more conservative as it is a lot harder to screw up on the conservative side that it is on the liberal side.

 

Best of luck!

[iNow]

It's hard to go wrong with charcoal gray. I like Boss suits, myself... as they're well crafted and slim fit (I am about 6'2 and 180). I also like Boss Black for shoes. No laces, such as the Chesterfield. Go to a higher end department store like Nordstrom. They have a nice selection, the staff will make you look good, and they'll tailor it for you (which is really a must if you want it to look sharp).

 

http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/mens-suits-sportcoats?origin=topnav

http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/boss-black-mens-shoes?origin=leftnav

Edited April 27, 2012 by iNow

[Arete]

As I've admitted, prejudice cannot be completely ruled out and I would find today's fashion for metal studs and face tattoos a real turn off.

 

I've got facial piercings and (non-facial) tattoos. I work as a postdoc in an Ivy league school . Mind you, I was hired sight unseen..

 

There's no hard and fast rules regarding clothing where I work, but I try to at least wear a collared shirt most days with a sweater when it's cold, always look clean and avoid the death metal band t-shirts/hoodies even if I play it in the lab. Private sector I'd probably have to try a little harder. Piercings can be done tastefully - I have 3/4" stretched earlobes adorned with rosewood plugs engraved with nautilus shells, which the head of department actually complimented me on.

 

Before I went back to school I used to work as a zookeeper - uniforms take all the guesswork out of it. I got asked reasonably often how I got the job with my piercings/tattoos. My usual response "By being more qualified than the other applicants."

 

As far as suits go - I'm built like a scarecrow but my wife tells me I look a bit of alright in most things done by Hugo Boss (pity about the price tags...).

[ecoli]

 

 

As far as suits go - I'm built like a scarecrow but my wife tells me I look a bit of alright in most things done by Hugo Boss (pity about the price tags...).

 

you can afford a label as a post-doc?

[Arete]

I saved up and bought the pants AND the jacket . (mind you here pays better than when we were at UoM - recognize the jolly pumpkin)

[CharonY]

For postdocs suits are not necessary. I cannot recall if I wore one but I hardly see anyone doing it. On faculty level it is often a slightly different matter (often less with other faculty, but somewhat when meeting e.g. with the dean etc.). However, in academia you can get away with much more clothing-wise than elsewhere.

 

Mind you, I have absolutely no sense of fashion, but I know people that apparently have, so here it goes...:

 

An all purpose business suit would be indeed charcoal. Dark blue (e.g. navy) is a bit trickier to pull off, from what I heard.

Style-wise most two-buttons would be notched-lapel anyway (other types are more commonly found on double breasted for tuxedos), just check that the width fits you. In general, smaller lapels are probably more universal. The most important part is proper fit, rather than the details of styles. Nothing too big/excessive should be pretty much timeless.

Pattern-wise, solid is simple, but a subtle pin are supposedly to make oneself slimmer/taller (no idea if that is true).

 

Pleats (esp double) are best avoided, especially if one is still young. Flat front pants generally go without cuffs.

Do yourself a favor and a get a good fitting shirt. It is awful to fiddle around with suit/shirt during an interview because the shirt is too bulky or too tight.

I have heard that you can get custom tailored ones for around 80 bucks, or buy a cheaper one and get it fitted.

 

Check if you like the collar. Narrow collars require narrow tie knots, and vice versa. So make sure it fits your face and neck. Also upper body length comes into play. If your tie is too long for your upper body, you have to make a broader knot (or buy a thinner/shorter tie). Colors of the tie (silk) obviously has to match with shirt. Simple or no patterns. Especially avoid confusing and bright patterns. If you are slim, avoid very broad ties. Also broad ties do not go well with suits with a narrow front.

 

Black shoes, round toe. Best not too shiny.

 

If you are slim and tall a cheaper alternative to Boss are also Calvin Klein suits. Probably not the best quality but affordable. Being in academia, I am pretty sure that they would not even let me into Nordstrom.

 

Most important for interviews, feel comfortable in them.

Edited April 27, 2012 by CharonY

[ecoli]

I saved up and bought the pants AND the jacket . (mind you here pays better than when we were at UoM - recognize the jolly pumpkin)

Were you in Ann Arbor when JP opened up the brewpub? Great beer.

[Xittenn]

If you live in Canada Holt Renfrew does tailored suits starting at a $1000. I guess it all depends on what's important to you . . . . I would still argue that if you are going to wear a suit you had best be comfortable wearing them in the first place, something that many men are not these days. And, if you are not the type to dress at a more formal level in the first place, it is quite dishonest to hide yourself in an interview--not that most people won't notice if you are!

[CharonY]

In an interview people expect you to be on your best behavior, not your average. And you will be judged accordingly.

[Xittenn]

In an interview people expect you to be on your best behavior, not your average. And you will be judged accordingly.

 

 

That's why I said two steps above normal, a full makeover is flat out lying.

 

And again being something you are not can make you look foolish, insecure, and without confidence. If the job requires a suit and a tie, I would imagine that you should have planned for that much further ahead of time.

[iNow]

I'm confused on your point, xittenn. Sure, we need to mostly present ourselves authentically in the interview if we want to be successful in the job. However, I'm in a position where jeans are perfectly acceptable in the workplace, I often wear t-shirts, but I still put a damned nice suit on for the interview. I wasn't misrepresenting myself. I was ensuring I looked polish so what they saw didn't distract from what I said or how I responded.

[Xittenn]

I'm confused on your point, xittenn. Sure, we need to mostly present ourselves authentically in the interview if we want to be successful in the job. However, I'm in a position where jeans are perfectly acceptable in the workplace, I often wear t-shirts, but I still put a damned nice suit on for the interview. I wasn't misrepresenting myself. I was ensuring I looked polish so what they saw didn't distract from what I said or how I responded.

 

 

And if that is how you feel you best represent yourself than by all means do so. I know hiring staff from places like Microsoft, EA, etc. and have had to do hiring myself of Architects, Engineers, Drafts-persons, Millwrights etc. and I say what I say from these experiences. I give an answer . . . . the onus is on the OP as to appropriateness. I can't really say anything more than that iNow--you shouldn't wear jeans and a t-shirt to a tech job, it's very unprofessional.

[CharonY]

Xitenn, I am not sure I understand your point. However

That's why I said two steps above normal, a full makeover is flat out lying.

 

I would say to an interview you should be at least one step above the attire of the organization you want to join. But not based on your own level. I fail to see the dishonesty of that. A suit or other work clothes are a type of uniform. What you wear to a job is supposed to reflect well on the organization, and not on you. An in an interview you are expected to go a step or so above that (at least).

[Xittenn]

Xitenn, I am not sure I understand your point. However

 

I would say to an interview you should be at least one step above the attire of the organization you want to join. But not based on your own level. I fail to see the dishonesty of that. A suit or other work clothes are a type of uniform. What you wear to a job is supposed to reflect well on the organization, and not on you. An in an interview you are expected to go a step or so above that (at least).

 

 

Absolutely! Lying would be, I wear a suit today, and jeans and a t-shirt tomorrow. And if everyone else is wearing jeans and a t-shirt to interview you, wearing a suit and tie might make you look uncomfortable. In the tech industry that I have been a part of what I have posted above in the photos, is often what is most appropriate. Wearing a suit from Mark's and Spencer's will make you look inappropriate. But really, I don't give a rats ass what any of you wear, it was friendly advice. If everyone including the OP sees it as innapropriate far be it from me to waste anymore of my game playing time on the matter.

 

Congrats on making your way up ewmon, and whatever you choose to wear I hope it gets you to where you want to be. Have fun!

 

o.o

 

** I personally like men who wear pants that are not jeans

Edited April 28, 2012 by Xittenn

[Arete]

Were you in Ann Arbor when JP opened up the brewpub? Great beer.

 

We were - it was a nice brew pub but got crowded quick and they had too many of those god-awful flemish sour ales that taste like armpits

We liked the Wolverine Brewing tap room out on Stadium - http://wolverinebeer.com/

Cheers!

[Joatmon]

In UK colleges, certainly in my day, most lecturers worked wearing sports jacket and tie (not a suit). The interview was "sudden death" where all the selected suitable candidates were interviewed together. Part of the interview was being taken round the college by the head of the relevant department. On my interview we had to move between buildings in the pouring rain and I remember the man who was to become my head of department saying to us "I know we have all got our interview suits on, but we shall just have to dash through the rain to the next building". This demonstrates that we had been expected to "dress up a level" from our usual working dress (as in fact we all had).

[A Tripolation]

It's hard to go wrong with charcoal gray. I like Boss suits, myself... as they're well crafted and slim fit (I am about 6'2 and 180). I also like Boss Black for shoes. No laces, such as the Chesterfield. Go to a higher end department store like Nordstrom. They have a nice selection, the staff will make you look good, and they'll tailor it for you (which is really a must if you want it to look sharp).

 

http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/mens-suits-sportcoats?origin=topnav

http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/boss-black-mens-shoes?origin=leftnav

 

Oh, my. I could buy a small country in South America for the price of those suits. They do look so very nice, though.

[iNow]

Lol. They're actually lower/mid-range in terms of costs. The "nice" suits are MUCH more.

 

I stipulate that it's much easier to afford one now that I'm no longer in college nor working for a non-profit organization.

[A Tripolation]

Lol. They're actually lower/mid-range in terms of costs. The "nice" suits are MUCH more.

 

...$1,700 is LOWER TO MID RANGE??????