Spoiler alert: This post is probably going to come across as super pretentious, but I still write it because I believe every single word. I'm also not going to lie about the fact that fashion is super interesting to me. One of my favorite movies of all time is The Devil Wears Prada, and I'm such a regular at Express that I ought to be sponsored by them. If I had the money, I'd probably go shopping on a very regular basis. (My wife would tell you I already do more than enough shopping for the both of us!)
Regardless of my personal preference, fashion holds a high importance in the business world. Just think through this exercise: Think about this term: big business. What do you think about when you think "big business"? My guess is that you think about a white, middle- to late-aged chubby man in a loose fitting black or dark navy suit. With a comb over.
The reality is that the clothes we wear speak volumes about ourselves, and I don't think at all that is a racist or stereotypical mentality. Nobody is forcing us to wear this or that. It's our choice. Even Hollywood, who is super down on racism / stereotypes, is very meticulous about ensuring what a character wears matches the nature of that character. Pick any five movies at random, and I guarantee you'll find this is the case.
So, how's this figure into modern day business?
Lax dress codes have changed standards across the board in every industry. Men used to wear button up shirts and slacks; ladies used to wear blouses and long skirts. Period. But that's different now. Are there men and women that still adhere to that standard? Yes, but they only account for one group of people. Some people dress in trendy, modern ways. Others I've worked with will literally wear a wolf t-shirt and jeans to work.
Have you heard the phrase "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have"? I think that is only partly true these days. I personally think you need to dress for the context that is most appropriate. To that end, I'm very intentional about what I wear to work, even specific to the day of the week. I do a roughly 50/50 split between dressing business casual and my attempt to be trendy. (And, on Fridays, I admittedly get lazy and wear whatever in what I like to call "Casual Fri-Dave".)
Honestly, I think this is an important factor to consider even for people well along in their career. Of course, you want to dress appropriate to your age, but I think a guy wearing that traditional "big business" garb wouldn't fare well in a Google-like environment where people dress more casually. That person would be automatically judged by what they wear, and their actions would be scrutinized through that biased lens.
I know, I know, you're probably thinking this is childish and outdated thinking, but it exists. Boy howdy does it exist. I personally don't have a problem with it since I enjoy a diversified wardrobe, but for those who don't want to accept this reality, I honestly think this is one of those things that just isn't worth fighting. If there are crosses to die on, this one isn't it. There are bigger fish to fry. (Insert other metaphors about not placing an importance on combating this topic.)
That's it for this post. I'm mulling over writing another post about how I specifically diversify my wardrobe, but... I don't know. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this post and enjoy your weekend.
Regardless of my personal preference, fashion holds a high importance in the business world. Just think through this exercise: Think about this term: big business. What do you think about when you think "big business"? My guess is that you think about a white, middle- to late-aged chubby man in a loose fitting black or dark navy suit. With a comb over.
The reality is that the clothes we wear speak volumes about ourselves, and I don't think at all that is a racist or stereotypical mentality. Nobody is forcing us to wear this or that. It's our choice. Even Hollywood, who is super down on racism / stereotypes, is very meticulous about ensuring what a character wears matches the nature of that character. Pick any five movies at random, and I guarantee you'll find this is the case.
So, how's this figure into modern day business?
Lax dress codes have changed standards across the board in every industry. Men used to wear button up shirts and slacks; ladies used to wear blouses and long skirts. Period. But that's different now. Are there men and women that still adhere to that standard? Yes, but they only account for one group of people. Some people dress in trendy, modern ways. Others I've worked with will literally wear a wolf t-shirt and jeans to work.
Have you heard the phrase "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have"? I think that is only partly true these days. I personally think you need to dress for the context that is most appropriate. To that end, I'm very intentional about what I wear to work, even specific to the day of the week. I do a roughly 50/50 split between dressing business casual and my attempt to be trendy. (And, on Fridays, I admittedly get lazy and wear whatever in what I like to call "Casual Fri-Dave".)
Honestly, I think this is an important factor to consider even for people well along in their career. Of course, you want to dress appropriate to your age, but I think a guy wearing that traditional "big business" garb wouldn't fare well in a Google-like environment where people dress more casually. That person would be automatically judged by what they wear, and their actions would be scrutinized through that biased lens.
I know, I know, you're probably thinking this is childish and outdated thinking, but it exists. Boy howdy does it exist. I personally don't have a problem with it since I enjoy a diversified wardrobe, but for those who don't want to accept this reality, I honestly think this is one of those things that just isn't worth fighting. If there are crosses to die on, this one isn't it. There are bigger fish to fry. (Insert other metaphors about not placing an importance on combating this topic.)
That's it for this post. I'm mulling over writing another post about how I specifically diversify my wardrobe, but... I don't know. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this post and enjoy your weekend.
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