Mark P. McDonaldA personal observation, nothing more.
The Chicago Tribune Sunday edition (2/8/09) ran an article about the change in style driven by the recession and the new President. The article focused on how there has been a return to more formal business dress, suits, ties, clothes that fit better. They attribute part of that to the need to present a more professional look as people are constantly judging your contribution to the company or your potential if they were to hire you. They also attribute it to the President and the fact that he often appears in a well-tailored suit and has set a new sense of style.
Recently I attended a roundtable with 22 CIOs. It was a breakfast meeting held at a downtown hotel. Everyone, with the exception of myself and two other CIOs were wearing ties. About half of them were wearing suits. It was a great meeting, lots of serious discussion and debate. And while I like to be comfortable, it looks like I am definitely going to have to breakout my ties and update my wardrobe.
Does this mean the death of business casual? Probably not, but I think it does mean that people are more aware of the judgments that people are making in these tough economic times. Business casual came to the fore in the late 1990’s as people tried to emulate the success of the dot-com millionaires, who were not only young but also dressed casually. Being casual was a sign of being hip. Being a little sloppy was a sign of being creative and innovative. The image of the slightly dishelved genius dominated the popular media and the definition of business casual.
Now as companies buckle down, people are buttoning down. It is not a bad thing. Styles change and how you dress influences your outlook on life, how you see others, what you think of others. So, remember the impression that you have of others by how they look is also the impression that you leave with others.
I am not saying that you need to conform your style, or dress, or deny your personality. It’s just that it is striking how economic times change the requirements for dressing for success.
Now where did I put those ties?
- What are you seeing out there? How have you changed your wardrobe?
- What is the type of impression that you look for to see if someone is creative, responsible, worth listening to?
- Has this changed? Or is this just a fad?
Category: Uncategorized Tags: personal, professional life
1 response so far ↓
1 Tim February 24, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Yes – I would agree that there has been a change in the last six months. We are moving into a more formal time when suits and ties are necessary for business in a way they were not even a year ago.
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