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Dress Down for Success
Some simple style tips for the casual- dress-impaired Silicon Valley male
By Brian D. Rossman
It was recently brought to my attention that I was one of the few individuals in the Silicon Valley who had yet to adopt the prevailing casual corporate attire. As a young attorney, indoctrinated with the phrase "suit for the jury, sport coat for the judge," my idea of casual corporate fashion was to wear a striped shirt.
When presiding Judge Noodle caught wind of my colorful rebellion, he promptly attempted to crush the uprising.
"Son, you are standing in a sacred place. You are standing in a place that is pure, a place that has not been undermined or subverted by the hedonistic desires of the individuals of our society. All lawyers in my courtroom are properly attired and that includes a white shirt. Do you understand me?"
Of course, the next time I appeared in front of the Hon. Judge Noodle, I made sure to sport a diamond stud in my left ear for the first time since I was 18. (Apparently, one does not always regret one's youthful follies.)
A recent study, as reported in Reputation Management, showed that 90 percent of office workers are free to wear what they want at least occasionally, an increase of 43 percent over the previous three years. This trend was the subject of a thesis conducted by University of North Carolina student Stephanie Foust, which focused on the dress codes of 189 Fortune 500 companies. (Other recent student studies of Fortune 500 companies include "Elevator Music of the Fortune 500 Company," "Fortune 500 vs. Indy 500" and "Supersize It: Things a Changin' in the Fortune 500 Cafeteria.")
Fifty-five percent of those who responded said their companies have a once-a-week dress-down policy; 25 percent dress down every day; 14 percent go casual on other occasions. (The results of the other studies were equally surprising: 45 percent prefer Musak; 35 percent prefer live flamenco music; 20 percent favor John Tesh.) Casual businesswear was considered acceptable workplace attire for men by 76 percent of respondents, and 78 percent said it was appropriate for women. (The Breakfast Burrito was preferred equally by men and women.)
Capitalizing on this information, one retailer, Dayton Hudson, is bringing the casual attire message to corporations via seminars that are tailored to different company cultures. Among the companies that have taken advantage of the presentations are Andersen Consulting, Hyatt Hotels, Helene Curtis, IBM, Miller Brewing and Prudential.
Silicon Valley companies are conspicuously absent from the fashion seminar short list. Although the high-tech community is credited with creating dress-down days, Silicon Valley has not mastered the style that goes along with the trend. So, in lieu of a formal seminar, I will attempt to provide style tips to those casual-dress-impaired males.
Socks make the man. A fine pair of socks sporting the emblem of your favorite team, company, mascot or South Park character indicates in no uncertain terms that you have style!
Belt or suspenders? Never, ever wear suspenders with a belt. This combination is a fashion no-no. Besides, do you really need both to hold up your golf pants?
Matching accessories. GQ magazine dictates that proper fashion is to match your slacks with your shoes. Do not worry that this may restrict your style (see Tip No. 1).
Zip the fly. Silicon Valley is a busy place. We rush to work. We rush to complete our work. We rush to get home from work. It is understandable that we may leave some tasks unfinished during the day. However, this is not just a task. It is a fashion regulation.
Remember to follow these four tips and you will rise up the corporate ladder in style. On second thought, since it's casual day, take the elevator. Who knows, you may get to meet John Tesh.
Campbell native Brian D. Rossman is an attorney and a business consultant for high-tech companies. His column appears every other week in this space. He can be contacted at bdrlaw@bigfoot.com.
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Campbell, California
