In this blog post, we explain how you can dress for success, whatever you do for a living. And for those who are too busy to trudge around the mall looking for clothes, we have a great solution for you at the end of this article.
How you dress not only has an impact on how you look. It affects how you feel, too. And feeling dynamic and professional is a critical ingredient of success.
Over the years, different professions have developed different dress codes. Of course, it’s fine to break the rules. But in order to break them, first, you have to know what they are.
How to dress if you’re a consultant
Back in the day, consultants wore suits. Not any more.
Consultants tend to travel. So comfortable, practical clothes are essential when dashing to the airport, bedding down on long-haul flights, and visiting offices on far-flung continents.
Practical doesn’t have to mean boring. It simply means trading in suits – which tend to be fragile and crease easily – for high-quality chinos, crisp shirts and jackets. You can ditch the tie, too. Clients expect their consultants to blend in, and ties are too formal for most projects.
Major consulting firms Accenture and PwC both have “Dress for Your Day” policies that allow employees to use their judgment when it comes to clothing. Of course, if meeting with senior representatives or board members, you’ll probably want to wear a suit and tie. But there are no hard rules when it comes to the consulting game.
Dressing for tech
The tech industry is renowned for being progressive and less stuffy than professional services. But that doesn’t mean you can show up for work in flip-flops and boardshorts! It does mean that T-shirts and polos are in play.
We draw the line at hoodies, though. They might be good enough for Mark Zuckerberg, but their days in the office are well and truly over!
The truth is that despite their laid-back image, tech startups can be high pressure, high-stakes environments, with clients, partners and investors often visiting the office. So if in doubt, err on the side of smartness to guarantee the right impression.
Banking on the right look
Finance used to be the bastion of old school dressing. Pin-striped suits, brogues, braces, cutaway collars and big watches. Think Gordon Gekko. Many people working in finance still enjoy this exuberant approach. But things are changing.
It started with hedge funds, where “chinos and a shirt” is practically a uniform. Now their more relaxed approach has caught on. This is also due to the fact that counterparties on the buy-side are “dressing down”, so bankers feel obligated to soften their appearance to put clients at ease.
Indeed, Goldman Sachs recently relaxed its rules around what employees can and can’t wear to work, implementing a “firm-wide flexible dress code”. Let’s face it, if it’s good enough for Goldies, it’s good enough for everyone!
Here at Sarwa, we have a relaxed approach to dressing for work, letting our people use their judgement. Just because we work in the financial markets doesn’t mean we have to be excessively formal or stiff.
Business casual rules
These days, “business casual” rules. For those who can’t think of anything worse than hitting the mall on their weekend, or spending hours browsing clothes online, there’s Mr Draper.
Mr. Draper is the shopping service for men who like to look good without the hassle of shopping. They send you clothing personalised to your style, size and budget to try-on at home before making a purchase decision. Outfits are hand-picked for you by a personal stylist and the service focuses on the smart casual clothing, offering a range of premium brands from the US, Netherlands, Italy and France. It’s an elegant solution to an age-old problem for busy people who want to dress well and look good, but struggle to find the time.
We see this as the perfect complement to our investment platform here at Sarwa. We’re automating investing, enabling you to plan for the future whilst focusing on what matters, be it work or play. And Mr Draper is revolutionising the personal shopper experience, making it easy for you to look and feel great, without wasting time.
Ready to invest in your future?