Dressing For Success... Stop looking like a fool.

[Kak]

yes, Cuban dress the worst but is also the most successful regarding financial success.

Strange isn't it?

You can't establish a correlation with a sample of 1.

He also invested in a guy that draws cats.

 

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[Kak]

Personally speaking I want to dress good enough but then do not want to expend to much money/mental energy figuring out each morning what to wear. What I started some time ago is wearing always the same everyday (black t shirt and jeans) , this can also apply to dressing good of course and then you simplify your life. I have heard Barack Obama used to wear always the same suit in order to liberate a bit of decision fatigue in his life.

I have actually done the same to an extent. 90% of my dress shirts are white or some kind of white. Why? Because it usually works no matter which suit I choose. Results may vary and we all have our systems. This is one of mine. Good post!

By the way guys, I don't sit around in my home office in a suit all day if that is what you are envisioning. I will be home all day so I am currently wearing a comfy pair of wrangler jeans (don't get me started on designer jeans) and a Brooks Brothers polo shirt.

 

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[lowtek]

I started by growing it out a little... Like the longest version of a still clean cut professional hairstyle and then VERY conservatively trimmed it up with scissors and a #6-7 guide for the sides.

Doing this, I knew I could always go to a barber and get it fixed.

I slowly got more confident over the last 2 years worth of haircuts that now I can do pretty much anything I want. Also, if you spend 30 bucks at the barber every 3 weeks and you can do it in an hour less than the whole driving over there and waiting dog and pony show, and you value your time at $300/hour... You save $5700 per year.

This also gets me out of the conversation too... Which ultimately land's on what do you do? A conversation I don't want to have with a barber, who could be a communist.

Lol.

Dude that moved in next door to me is a barber. He was waiting on renovations to his new place, so he was chopping mops out of his garage. Didn't think much of it till a bunch of high end german luxury sedans came by to get their hair cut.

Started going to him, and they do a great job.

He's mid 20s, and the other guy that cuts my hair is early 20s. Both are anti commie, and I don't mind the small talk cuz they're decent kids.

 

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[AgainstAllOdds]

IMO the guys in your example pics went from hippie/surfer to metrosexual. Not really professional, but obviously an improvement...

Lol. I just took the first five images off google. There weren't many pictures of non-metrosexual guys that agreed to do before and after pictures.

 

[Esquire]

My formula is simple.

Go to places where the affluent congregate, observe what they are wearing, look for patterns ... then emulate it.

If you see me in court I am almost always wearing the same combination. Blue Brooks Brothers blazer. White French cuff shirt. Red tie. Tan slacks. Black Melzan shoes and belt. Everything tailored. Conservative haircut.

I will deviate from this combination every now and then. Typically when I am meeting with the same client on consecutive days. But otherwise: I find my best look and I run with it.



This was a dress combination that I observed worn regularly among the affluent in New England. So I adopted it.

Look the part.

 

[Dan_Cardone]

Many people, men in particular, vastly underestimate just how important your appearance is when it comes to generating instant trust and likability. Is it fair? No, but it is reality.

I was once hired by a car dealership to come in and figure out why their sales were so low compared to other area dealerships. Despite selling new cars one of the first things I noticed upon entering the lot was the homeless man wondering around the cars. You can image my surprise when that man tried to sell me a car!

The owner (who recently took over the dealership from his father) had a VERY lax policy on dress standards and the majority of his sales team really seemed to enjoy that! While that wasn't the only problem, it was a big problem!

One of the changes I made was to implement a strict dress code of suits only and professional haircuts.

That along with some simple customer service changes drastically improved sales.

 

[JG17]

I got one for you , what suit for selling to lawyers?

On the one hand thats a crowd that sees so many suits that it might all be a blur

On the other hand , thats a crowd that sees so many suits that theyd notice every minute detail gone wrong

Some kind of basic formal grey suit? I feel like 3 piece might be overkill but I have so much damn fun wearing the things

Obviously the seer sucker in my profile pic is a no go unless I get transported back in time to the 1930's deep south

I work in finance (not law but similar environment dress-wise), my advice is don't overdo it. To me a suit is a suit unless someone is wearing either a three-piece or a light/bright colour. A formal, two-piece dark navy or charcoal grey suit with a white shirt and polished black shoes is all you need. Personally I can't stand ties and wouldn't be bothered if someone came to sell to me without one, but you probably should cover this base as every lawyer I meet wears one if only for meetings. Just don't go with an obviously cheap/poor quality one, one with a funky pattern or a massive knot. Keep it simple, tidy and smart and you'll have no issues.

 

[Primeperiwinkle]

Just saw an ad on fb.
Masterclass ad.
An ad on Facebook for Masterclass.

by Rupaul.

who is advocating.. wait for it..

WAAAAAAAAIT FOR IT!!!!!

- wearing a suit.

I had to say something. I couldn’t help myself. It’s been a long day. Lol

 

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[Kak]

Just a heads up for everyone... If you ever see yourself donning a suit again in your life, now might be the time to pick up a nice one.

Jos A Bank has suits for $89 right now... Some are even the "Reserve" line which happen to be American made and half canvassed. Not imported polyester junk.

I have one of these Reserve suits and they are normally like $600-800 and they are very nice. They are up to par with my Brooks Brothers 1818 stuff. For $89, see if there is anything in your size. I bought a dark blue pin stripe.

The Reserve dress shirts are also very nice. BTW.

With these prices, there is really no excuse for looking like a fool when interacting in a business capacity.

 

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[Kak]

DuPont Hazmat is the new Brooks Brothers. That is all.

 

[Olimac21]

For those interested in dressing better, I find two youtube channels: Based Zeus (dating+fashion advice, cheap clothes and tips on mindset too) and Teachingmenfashions (a lot of grooming advice and clothes).

That being said, my recommendation would be to go minimalist with clothes because is very easy to overspend if you listen to all people´s advice on what you should were.

If you do not like minimalist or owning just a few clothes, try sharing clothes with people who have a similar size than you, buy second hand or just keep a budget limit to it.

 

[Philip Marlowe]

Black herringbone (more versatile than solid black)

This is important. Don't own a solid black suit unless you're a limo driver or a bouncer.

 

[AFMKelvin]

You think I am going to entertain your morbid pun and attempt at humor regarding a discussion about my dead mentor?

I've only ignored one person in the history of this forum. I might have just made it two.

I apologize if it offended you.

 

[Kak]

Anything magical that you do with your dress shoes if your feet sweat in them? I find dress shoes to lack in the breathability department, and when I am wearing a pair it is generally for the whole day.

Swamp foot is not cool.

Cedar shoe trees. They keep them nice and dry them out. Easy enough!

 

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[Lucid Tech]

Not impress, or to attract attention... Just look the part.

So politicians are corrupt... So... They control a sh*t load of money.

People that want to actually make money. You can't go through life bitching about conformists, talking about it the way things ”ought” to be, and expect to make anything of yourself. Like it or not, the world we live in is the way it is. If you show up to a business meeting with me and you look like you just rolled out of bed in the morning, the deal isn't happening.

Being the best, most professional version of yourself is in YOUR best interest.

Yeah @Kak why are you wasting your time meeting with evil politicians who control million and billion dollar budgets? That seems like a lot of work.

If you're trying to get rich, have you heard of a Roth IRA?

--------------------------

In practical news, one thing that has worked for me is to dress one step above your customer/partner, but not more than one step.

If you're meeting with blue collar buyers in jeans and polos, a full suit and tie feels out of place. Better off with dress pants and dress shirt (no tie, no jacket) here.

When I was in consulting, most employees at client sites were in dress pants and dress shirt. Here, suit pants and suit jacket work better.

If they're in dress pants and a dress jacket, then suit and tie fits here.

One step above, but no more.

 

[Kak]

Talc powder.

Maybe for Nikes, but not for a nice dress shoe. I tried it once.

Yeah @Kak why are you wasting your time meeting with evil politicians who control million and billion dollar budgets? That seems like a lot of work.

If you're trying to get rich, have you heard of a Roth IRA?

--------------------------

In practical news, one thing that has worked for me is to dress one step above your customer/partner, but not more than one step.

If you're meeting with blue collar buyers in jeans and polos, a full suit and tie feels out of place. Better off with dress pants and dress shirt (no tie, no jacket) here.

When I was in consulting, most employees at client sites were in dress pants and dress shirt. Here, suit pants and suit jacket work better.

If they're in dress pants and a dress jacket, then suit and tie fits here.

One step above, but no more.

I can agree with this.

I tend to wear the jacket as often as possible though even if that means dressing down around it. Like a polo shirt under it. Or jeans like I mentioned earlier. Boots. Things like that.

My professional dressing for all but formal meetings is based on sport coats. They polish up your appearance and can be worn without being too many notches above any situation.

 

[c4n]

but dressing up like you are some hot shot is ridiculous imo

It helps if you actually read posts from @Kak and others:

Agreed about "fancy" nothing flashy ever. You don't want to draw attention to your clothes EVER. You want clothes to basically be part of you and your leadership. To support your goals Just part of the bigger picture.

Thank you for the thread. I have to admit I am a sloppy dresser most of the time.

I had a video call with my largest customer today. Last time I did that I was wearing a t-shirt, but after reading all this I've put on a nice shirt this time.

I don't know if it's all in my head, but the energy was great and I killed it. Maybe there is something to it...

 

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[AlexLegault]

What do you think about jeans with a shirt and blazer (and tie?) for a web design/online marketing meeting?

I live in Canada.

 

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[Paleo]

I'm sure your Dad's friend got a good laugh out of that!

Here's another example I just remembered that demonstrates how social signaling with clothing is highly contextual and one rule doesn't fit all situations.
A woman I knew had lived in the West Palm/ Palm Beach area for several years and was active in the social scene. She met a girl who was a Russian immigrant and they started hanging out together. The Russian explained that she had moved to the area to hunt for a wealthy husband. My friend noticed that the Russian would lavish attention on men who were wearing suits. The Russian told her that, in Russia, men who wore suits were usually wealthy businessmen. My friend told her that in Palm Beach most guys wearing suits in restaurant lounges or nightclubs were middle management types or posers/strivers, and that the really wealthy guys who had already made it were the ones who showed up to fancy restaurants wearing flip flops and shorts and were known by the staff.
In my beach town, well-off guys dress "resort casual" -high quality casual clothes, occasionally wearing a sport coat or blazer without a tie. Suits are really only worn to more formal events. Anyone other than a lawyer or undertaker who wore a suit and tie every day would be considered odd. For comparison, when I lived in New Orleans, businessmen of all types commonly wore jackets and ties although the climate is just as swelteringly hot and humid as Florida. They were just more old-school there. Location, culture and class all come into play in deciding what is "well dressed".
However, for most situations and locations, following Molloy's "Dress for Success" is a great strategy. I read it as a teenager and it got me off to a good start. It's shocking how many men don't even understand the basics. Flusser's "Dressing the Man" is good if you want to develop more "style" and take it to the next level.
And never forget-the most important rule of clothing is FIT.

 

[Fox]

My go to with sport coats are almost 100% of the time a white french cuff dress shirt. 50/50 Jeans vs dress slacks. 50/50 light gray slacks, or dark gray slacks.

I don't really wear khaki, they remind me of my 2nd of 2 jobs I ever held. I was required to wear ugly khaki pants every day.

View: https://vimeo.com/277193592

Ha I guess that will stop those “pics please” posts. Nice video.

Are you are a pretty consistent weight @Kak? That’s my main issue with suits, I fluctuate about 5kg between different months.

 

[Kak]

I also got one suit made. Pretty good.

Felt a bit afraid of spending quite a lot on a custom suit, but there is the risk that shop-bought wear can go south.

Another thing, @Kak, I think no one discussed PIMPLES, FACIAL LOOKS and BLACKHEADS so far on this forum. I guess this should be relevant, given that we are discussing looks.

I have done projects with school friends with faces that looked like the aftermath of Mount Vesuvius, and needless to say, I didn't want to touch them!

How do girls kiss the cheeks of boys with lots of zits? (I'm not in the romance department, but some questions have to be asked...)

Anyhow, @Kak, how do you take care of your face? Any good brands of facewash or hydrates?

Honestly I have never had much of a problem with skin, but I have not had a single pimple since I started on the keto diet... Fun fact.

 

[Kak]

What about timepieces and haircuts?

Professional.

I observe everything from Citizen, Raymond Weil, Apple, Samsung to Rolex and Breitling.

Nothing of weird colors.

Leather strap and thin profile is the most formal. Metal strap is less formal. Rubber is least.

Rubber, in my opinion, is more appropriate for the golf course than in a business environment.

 

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[GPM]

Don't forget to match your watch to your belt and shoes! Don't be wearing a black watch with brown shoes.

 

[Niptuck MD]

. wearing a suit makes you a massive douche bag imo. or you need to beg investors for $.

poor people usually dress up to look professional, but to me they just look like slaves, its hilarious to see these people jam packed side to side on a train (or better yet a bus!) riding public transit looking all fancy.

this depends on the industry. Maybe in IT or tech fields looking average is ok, however in many other fields dealing with extensive travel overseas, unfortunately jeans are frowned upon ruthlessly.

 

[Dami-B]

What do you think of groomed facial hair stubble (like designer facial hair stubble) for professional meetings instead of clean shaven? Do you think people would it's inappropriate or would it be out of place?

I have a baby face when I shave.

I remember vaguely in the book Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, Phil would talk about how his founding team members would have all different kinds of hairstyles and long beards, but he couldn't have one because he always had to negotiate with the bankers for loan extensions, and capital infusion into Nike, so he always had to keep a clean shave and short hair, and dress professionally.

 

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[Niptuck MD]

I own a couple of sport coats from Stafford. Nobody, including myself, knows the difference between a $150 sport coat and a $400 one. Now, the really high end stuff $1200-1500+, there is a noticeable difference

when i first started, i can attest to the stafford brand however it is really subpar in quality. (for heavy usage) when I went to various countries they didnt hold up. Now mind you if you are slowlane by all means a great place to start, but as you progress in skills, income you should seriously invest in the heavy hitting brands of Zegna, John Lobb, Turnbull and Asser, Michael bastian, Burberry, Holland & Sherry etc even used garments from authorized resellers are a good investment. Trust me, it makes a huge difference. People worldwide are much more adept and aware at suits and top brands (not the fake top shit brands like LV, gucci, prada, tommy hilfiger, ralph lauren etc) but true time tested suitors and tailors. Mind you this only applies for those of us that are required to wear suits for our line of work.

 

[Niptuck MD]

There is without a doubt a huge difference especially for the long haul.

Traditionally, men’s suits were constructed with a layer of horsehair canvas underneath the wool fabric shell. This canvas holds the shape of the suit and keeps it from sagging or deforming, much like the foundation of a house keeps it upright.

The canvas lining allows the suit fabric to drape naturally, allowing a clean, well put-together look.

The fussed and half-fuss-half-canvas variants are just horrid as a served foundation and are usually found in the cheap drivel at major box stores.

 

[jmusic]

There is without a doubt a huge difference especially for the long haul.

Traditionally, men’s suits were constructed with a layer of horsehair canvas underneath the wool fabric shell. This canvas holds the shape of the suit and keeps it from sagging or deforming, much like the foundation of a house keeps it upright.

The canvas lining allows the suit fabric to drape naturally, allowing a clean, well put-together look.

The fussed and half-fuss-half-canvas variants are just horrid as a served foundation and are usually found in the cheap drivel at major box stores.

Arun Silva is right on the money, and explains one of the major differences between nicer suit jackets and the cheap crap (extra fabric for tailoring purposes, lining, sewing & fabric quality, and the finer details being many of the others). I've heard that some of the super cheap suits that you can find in Asia are actually canvassed with newsprint!

Good information, but his suit jacket is actually too tight.

 

[Kak]

i mean this is the fastlane forum. Isn't whole point to be as inefficient as possible? I am not discounting the importance of dress but look at bill gates and mark zuckerberg. They literally dont give a f*ck and just throw on a pair of khakis and a t shirt.

Did you read the thread?

 

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[Paleo]

I was once skeptical that there was any significant difference between cheaper men's clothing and the high end makers that would justify the large difference in price.

But having worn everything from low end department store lines, to middle market , to the elite brands such as Brioni, Canali. Barbera, Corneliani, Zegna, Canterelli (yes, I like Italian) the better Burberry, I can say that there is a HUGE difference is quality and wearability that does justify buying at least a few of these pieces.

The fabric is so good. Lighter. Softer. Drapes better. Breathes better Has great "hand", a tailor's concept that is hard to explain unless you've experienced it.

A fused jacket (Jos Banks, department store) is stiff. A canvassed jacket molds to and moves with the wearer. The fabric, design, cutting and sewing means that the clothes not only look great , they are so much more comfortable to wear. A cheap suit is uncomfortable; a good suit is not.

If you are thinking you can't afford these clothes, I will give you one word: Ebay. Search around and you can find authentic items from reputable sellers. Also, if you have the time and are in the right areas- thrift stores. I'm a bit of a treasure hunter and have found some great scores in thrift stores. I can often pick out just by site a quality piece on the rack and touching the fabric confirms it. Some of my favorite thrift store finds had no tags at all, or just the tag of the men's store that sold it, but were great quality.

I will admit, though, that a dream of mine is to have a couple of suits made by Savile row tailors.....

 

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