412 Comments

1. I have to agree. I think you should take it a step further for warmer climates. I see no reason to wear pants when shorts will provide the same function.

   Comment by G Meyers — January 16, 2007 @ 2:48 pm

2. I hardly ever wear a suit, but I enjoy the times when I do *have* to wear a suit. I also feel that form and function are not mutually exclusive, so if you have to wear a suit find something that fits well and have fun with it!

   Comment by Tom — January 16, 2007 @ 2:58 pm

3. Mark, I work in a quite casual environment. Some people wear jeans every day, and everybody wears jeans some days. Usually, it’s pretty business casual.

   Every Tuesday, I wear a suit. It makes me feel comfortable.

   Comment by Dave — January 16, 2007 @ 3:01 pm

4. I never wore a suit. Even for my wedding. In fact, I don’t own a suit. Once, i rent a tux for the Emmy Awards but that’s it. My business attire are a good pair of shorts and a t-shirt. When I need to go upscale, i wear a pair of jeans and a polo. Once, somebody asked me why I never wear a suit. Suits are like prisonners uniforms. They “jail’ my creativity.

   Comment by William Reymond — January 16, 2007 @ 3:05 pm

5. I started working for a large Fortune 500 company five years ago, fresh out of college. I didn’t have any kind of signing bonus to get me started. As a result, I had to put my first shirts, ties and dress pants (which were the required attire) on a credit card.

   How silly is that?

   Starting my road of financial freedom and responsibility from my parents with an irresponsible credit card debt required of me because I had to wear pressed shirts and neckties to work?

   Comment by FilteringCraig — January 16, 2007 @ 3:10 pm

6. Interestingly, right after reading your post, I read a StrangeEconomics blog post (www.strangeconomics.blogspot.com) on the same general topic . According to the study in the link below, women who “dress up” or spend more on beauty-enhancing goods and services make more money but there are overall diminishing marginal returns for each expense on new beauty enhancing goods ability to return more income. Interesting read.

   http://www.eco.utexas.edu/facstaff/Hamermesh/chinabeauty.doc

   Comment by Matt McMahon — January 16, 2007 @ 3:11 pm

7. I agree completely.

   This reminds me of having to wear a shirt with a collar at some golf courses. Ridiculous!!

   Comment by John Lynn — January 16, 2007 @ 3:15 pm

8. Suits look nice, and for societal/brainwashing reasons can really set the tone for a high-power meeting, business pitch, or special event. But for every day? I agree–it’s asinine. Luckily, I get to dress pretty comfortably and casually for work, and occasionally will put a bit more “effort” into my look and go with a tie or a blazer. But regardless of whether it’s a suit or a sweater and jeans–it’s not the fabric pieces themselves, but the care and grooming that goes with it which makes a difference. I would have a much more (superficial) favorable impression toward a professional in a clean sweater and nice jeans with combed hair and a wisp of nice cologne than I would for some schmuck in an ill-fitting, wrinkled suit and a greasy side part.

   Comment by Matt Mendolera — January 16, 2007 @ 3:16 pm

9. Yes, the post is about suits, but the underlying premise is a very good one for entrepreneurs and anyone else that wants to be successful: “Question assumptions”

   Comment by Tim — January 16, 2007 @ 3:30 pm

10. Preach on, brother. 33, self-taught software developer, six figures, radio/TV major in college, still never even owned a suit. I don’t intend to.

    Comment by Jeff — January 16, 2007 @ 3:30 pm

11. Mark, I graduated from Texas A&M with a Business Information
    Systems degree in 1990. I drove to Dallas for an interview at Lennox (sp?). Yes, I
    played the game: I put on my suit. When I arrived, it was a freaking
    morgue! Dark, gloomy, no windows. I swear I saw Bella Lugosi’s ghost
    walk past me. I kept asking myself: How in the hell can these
    programmers be creative in this environment? Well, I already made
    the drive, and I knew there was no way I’d work for them. So I
    played with them. Messed with them. The VP pulled me into his
    office and asked me what my dad did. I thought WTF? why does that
    matter? Funny thing was my dad quit his job so I told the man “I
    dunno” and kept staring at a picture of his daughter on his desk
    while he talked to me. It was a blast. Once I knew they could not
    “get me”, I made the best of it.Anyway, this post is GREAT. You have
    a lot of people who don’t like you and a hellouva lot more who do.
    The ones who don’t just won’t “get it” when reading this and will
    have more reasons to try to put you down. The ones who appreciate
    everything you stand for are here, chearing, from desks behind PCs
    and… quite appropriately, are wearing a T-shirt.

    greg

    ps-no lie,
    right now I have on a white t-shirt and jeans… and working on my
    website ( http://www.boxscorebasketball.com ) along with doing
    research on my masters thesis. And the jeans and T-Shirt allow for
    more creativity.

    Comment by greg — January 16, 2007 @ 3:33 pm

12. I can imagine making everyone wear suits is similar to the reason that schools make children wear uniforms.

    I have friends who teach at inner city schools and the children there have to wear uniforms. The logic: poor children in inner cities go to great lengths to shed any outward vestiges of poverty - to that end they make great strides to acquire popular culture items (clothing, phones, ipods, etc) in order to appear wealthier than they are. This leads to unnecessary and distracting strife between and amongst students. Uniforms thus remind the kids that they are ALL THE SAME - and need to distinguish themselves academically and otherwise, rather than using other methods of individualism as springboards for identity.

    I can imagine that has some value to those students.

    I can imagine that suits did a similar thing in the workplace at one time. At one period in time, a sharecroppers son and a wealthy heir should have little outward to distinguish them as such when they show up for work at their investment bank.

    I can imagine that there was a value at some time.

    Comment by blyx — January 16, 2007 @ 3:33 pm

13. I spent most of my childhood and all the way through college wearing old navy jeans and those $5 “flag” t-shirts. When I got out of college and got a job, I found that I preferred wearing suits and was sick of wearing casual attire every day. The suits are more comfortable (the better quality ones) and they look better on me - it’s not a confidence issue for me. To each their own, I guess.

    Comment by JB — January 16, 2007 @ 3:40 pm

14. While I completely agree that suits are worthless, they do have one redeeming quality: I look damn good in them. That said, our image of what looks good is of course skewed by tradition and James Bond movies. Throughout history the trend in fashion has been toward more comfort, thus the recent rise of the no-tie look. While I doubt the t-shirt will ever be considered appropriate dress, I hope our requirement of a suit is replaced by a requirement for substance and smarts.

    Comment by Richard Crowley — January 16, 2007 @ 3:45 pm

15. I agree with you, death to the suit.

    Comment by Shinda — January 16, 2007 @ 3:47 pm

16. I totally agree with you Mark and your statement about only wearing a suit if the person you’re selling to is wearing one. I am a regional sales manager for cable and satellite tv signal processing equipment and 99% of our clients are the not wearing suits.

    Comment by David Ward — January 16, 2007 @ 3:54 pm

17. During the days when CompuServe was run by former IBM execs, the dark suit, white suit and power tie was definitely the only accepted dress (per IBM’s Buck Rogers). And I think it played a role at setting a professional attitude, particularly in the B2B part of the company (which purchased MicroSolutions).

    But like many companies, we went with the casual trend in the 1990s. When we did the first of our ‘casual days’ I remember remarking to the CEO at the time (one of the IBMers) that seeing everyone in golf shirts and khakis made the place feel like Microsoft. He said it made him feel uncomfortable. I commented that perhaps we should look at the 1990s market cap of IBM vs Microsoft and decide which company had the dress code right.

    My theory is that there’s a connection between the level of conservativism in dress and the state of the economy. It has long been said that dress lengths move inversely with the stock market (maybe Britney’s antics are an indication that we’re at a peak!!).

    I think there’s something like this with men’s clothes too. When men’s fashions shift from casual (or gregarious like the 70s-80s) to conservative, it means we’re close to the bottom, and have shifted into a attitude where it’s time for serious work.

    Like you, I quit wearing suits when I retired. But there are times when a suit is appropriate, especially when it is a sign of respect (e.g. at the funeral).

    Comment by Paul — January 16, 2007 @ 3:54 pm

18. I’ve only had one job that required a suit, an internship in Germany. I hated wearing one every day, but on certain occassions, there’s nothing wrong with wearing a suit. A suit looks good, better than a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Wearing a suit to a wedding or a funeral means you give a crap enough about the people to try and look your best.

    Also, like Matt said, it’s a signaling device. Sure you can look like a slob in a suit, but that’s the wearers fault. A stylish, well pressed suit that fits can make you look a heck of a lot better than a nice sweater and jeans.

    Besides, the worst part of wearing a suit isn’t the suit, but the noose/tie you have to wear. God I hate ties.

    Comment by Mo — January 16, 2007 @ 3:57 pm

19. wearing a suit has gotten me laid multiple times. i dont need one to get laid, but its easier for me with a suit on @ random happy hours. so hail the suit.

    Comment by winash — January 16, 2007 @ 4:07 pm

20. I think you’re way off base and here’s why: you are sharing your personal dislike for suits, and as a value judgment it’s as subjective as not liking any other “optional”/non-functional accessory/apparel. Attack the disease of consumerism, etc — not one symptom.

    1) Sure suits aren’t practical, but how many items do we wear in our every day life that aren’t? A lot. Now, I see that you typically wear t-shirts and are a pretty simple guy. I respect that. But are you saying you want everyone to be like you? And if you are saying that (which I don’t have a problem with), why don’t you then attack the numerous things which are not practical apparel?

    2) If you just meant to direct your post to CEO’s and people in charge of dress codes– *then* I’m with you. You’ve got a powerful demographic reading your blog, and I believe if this didn’t come across as calling suits stupid in general, and instead calling the forced practice of suits as the dress code foolish, you might have changed some decision makers minds.

    3) Instead your post came across (to me) that you believe that everyone who wears a suit is trying to make themselves look important. Really?

    I love wearing a suit. But it’s because it feels energizing to me. I don’t think it makes me look important, but it gives mea feeling of “focus”. There’s a methodical process of getting ready in a suit that helps to ready my mind. It’s the same feeling I get when I get a fresh haircut or take a long much-deserved hot shower. Now, some people do try and act important and wearing a suit is one of the many ways they try and project this (including talking on their cellphone as loudly as possibly as publicly as possible). You should pick on those things as well?

    Why does anyone wear a suit? The same reason people wear white hats, sweatshirts, high heels, fashionable scarves or any other “optional” accessory/apparel. When it’s by choice, I’m great with it. If it’s forced, I think it’s questionable (as you do).

    End diatribe.

    Comment by surya — January 16, 2007 @ 4:13 pm

21. Sorry you had to suffer for so long;-) My early corporate life included shirt, slacks and tie - we rebelled, declaring the tie cut off circulation to the brain that we needed to think…

    One anecdote on the other side - I once had to counsel a junior member of my team to wear nicer shirts with collars. It is one thing to be casual, and another to look like you’re at the beach. (or going out on a date)

    Comment by Steve Tylock — January 16, 2007 @ 4:16 pm

22. Amen from a fellow suit hater. IMO suits only reinforce the tendency to look at people superficially. Any idiot can buy clothes. True (relevant) story from the Valley. A well-respected Silcon Valley law firm was pitching a perspective client who was a recently funded startup. Their entire exec team was there but no one was introduced w/ titles mostly dressed in high-end business casual (no one wears suits in the Valley) and one guy in jeans. The partners from the law firm paid little attention to the guy in jeans who, turns out was the CEO. Bad move. No business.

    Moral of the story: Better to judge the man, not the clothes.

    Comment by Mike G — January 16, 2007 @ 4:24 pm

23. The reason to where a suit is to dress like a man.

    First, there are clothes for public consumption: clothing in which to present yourself to others and thereby convey an elevated message about yourself. These are types of clothes you wear to work, to the store, out on the town, at a wedding, at church, at parties, or wherever people are going to see you. The primary objective here is that you look presentable, that you are civilized, a gentleman and not a beast.

    The other type of clothing is that which serves a pure functional purpose: that is, that which you wear for yard work, fixing your car, an evening at home, a Saturday washing the house or cleaning, or just knocking around the park with kids. Everyone knows what type of clothes these are. They can all be bought at Wal-Mart or thrift stores, and they are made of cotton.

    The great dressing error of our time is to confuse the two. Or more precisely: people think that it is perfectly okay to present yourself to others in clothes which serve a purely functional purpose. They say this is fine because it is comfortable as if the only thing that matters in life is comfort. Well, it is also comfortable not to shave and not to bathe, and we have a word for people like that: slobs. If you don’t want to be a slob, you have to live with a bit of discomfort.

    If men could absorb that simple lesson, the world would be a much more beautiful place in which to live. Elevated dressing causes people to behave better. Crime might fall. Manners would begin to come back. People might clean up their language. They might listen to better music and read better books. Something resembling civilization might return.

    Comment by Chris — January 16, 2007 @ 4:31 pm

24. This was an excellent post. I think dressing up for work is overplayed, and I feel the same way about school uniforms. We want conformity in this society; everyone to look the same, and it’s silly. I work for myself and I do trainings for teachers. I currently wear a suit but it seems silly at times when I see teachers in front of me that are casual and comfortable. I may relax it in the near future unless I’m trying to sell myself (not literally, really).

    Comment by Lamarr Wilson — January 16, 2007 @ 4:32 pm

25. Ideas rule. At least those with some real substance. Suits are just style over substance. And for many in the corporate pecking order who are afraid of competing in a meritocracy, it’s a way to keep score.

    Comment by jim wegerbauer — January 16, 2007 @ 4:33 pm

26. I completely agree and luckily have the luxury of not wearing a suit to work. Granted I work in broadcast production, so the idea of anyone editing, filming, etc in a suit would look rather funny. its a hands on job…

    On the other hand, I wonder if this is the culture you believe in for the Mavs? I take it you don’t agree with the NBA dress policy and we know players dont.

    And on a side note, as I read this, I can’t help but think of Terdema! I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Ussery at a special function before a Mavs game, and man did he look “smart” in his suite. Granted, he is an extremely well spoken, well educated, eloquent person, and the suite fits him well.. but I just wonder if he isn’t the ying to your yang? I can’t see him sitting around the office all day in sweat pants doing his Lawyer thing… lol

    Comment by Matt Price — January 16, 2007 @ 4:43 pm

27. Why do I get the feeling that everyone commenting is wearing tacky khakis and a much to old, collar curled under at the tips, un-tucked polo shirt to work.

    I can picture quite a few people at my office jumping on the anti-suit bandwagon and taking it way too far. Especially when they believe Mark Cuban is reinforcing their laziness.

    I routinely give presentations about the design and look of my company’s products. One of my major points is that when competition gets close, style decides.

    When you are the brightest you have some leeway, but when you are racing neck in neck with other people or companies every little edge makes a difference. Appearance is powerful. To deny that is insane. I would advise always looking noticeably more refined than those around you that might be competing with you in any way for anything. That probably includes throwing in the occasional suit.

    Having style is actually a skill. A skill that can be practiced and improved upon. A skill that can be measured. A skill that can have intelligence applied to it. Don’t get lazy.

    The suit isn’t your enemy. It is a tool in your arsenal. When and where you use it is at your discretion, but don’t start getting the mental attitude that the suit is your enemy.

    Comment by Chad Meeks — January 16, 2007 @ 4:44 pm

28. My wife thinks I look good in a suit.

    I love my wife.

    You do the math.

    Comment by Scott Yates — January 16, 2007 @ 4:47 pm

29. I seldom wear suits, but always have a tie. Occassionally depending on the weather, I will wear a sport coat.
    Why? Because my boss likes it. If my boss likes it (and she has complemented me on the way I dress) then I shall continue.
    Why? Because I am judged on the way I look and act as well as the way I perform.
    Mark? (Does anybody call you Mr. Cuban?) You are also judged on the way you look and act (duh) but with a gazillion dollars, you have options the rest of us don’t enjoy.
    I guess that’s another reason I “hate” you. You don’t have to wear a suit and/or tie.
    How about a post on “Why I don’t fly commercial, and can’t figure out why anyone does.”
    hehehe

    Comment by Duffer — January 16, 2007 @ 4:50 pm

30. Should we expect to see Maverick players doing interviews on TV in casual shorts and T-shirts too?

    Comment by Linus — January 16, 2007 @ 4:56 pm

31. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with questioning conventional assumptions. I also believe that business dress standards probably have relaxed considerably in the recent past.

    That being said, there often is good logic behind common assumptions. In this case, why stop at suits? Why do we brush our hair? Why do (some of us) wear deodorant? Why do we engage in any sort of personal hygiene?

    I think there’s a reasonable explanation for all of these behaviors — business and society value it when people take the time to look presentable.

    I’d like to think that sales contracts and job positions and everything else is rewarded based on merit. But frankly, for a number of industries, it’s not always that easy to differentiate yourself from a competitor. Sales pitches sound the same, resumes look similar, and a lot of decisions get made on totally subjective rationales. With that in mind, yeah, I think it makes a lot of sense to look as presentable as possible. It may not be the most comfortable, and I agree it may be overkill to have that everyday. But if dressing up conveys a sense of professionalism that clients value (whether that’s fair or not), then it’s not just some thoughtless tradition.

    Comment by JJ — January 16, 2007 @ 4:56 pm

32. I agree to some degree, but the problem arises when people who have no sensibility end up wearing cut-off jeans, ripped jeans, a mullet or worse…

    As a business owner you have to set limits otherwise people will take advantage of it and end up making you and your company look bad.

    If I have a group of salesmen and women I sure would want them making a good impression on my clients and potential clients cause most people won’t respect the decision to let my employees where whatever they want. If I want clients I’m forced to portray a certain image to get and maintain those clients.

    This also goes hand in hand with a previous post about golf courses making you wear a collared shirt. I myself have been mad at this knowing good and well that I looked fine (nice khaki pants, black v-neck sweater covered by a nice golf jacket), but this golf club in Las Vegas still made me buy a $100 collared shirt. As mad as I was, I still understand that their job isn’t to decide if my wardrobe looks nice enough, it’s to help me with the best possible service and to enforce certain guidelines to ensure others don’t take advantage of the rules and end up wearing cut-off jeans and a cut-off Metallica shirt. The same goes for upscale nightclubs.

    Point is… people want to be surrounded with like minded people and want to do business with people they trust and can associate with and the way you portray yourself sends a loud message about who you are.

    I’m sure there’s plenty of people that would do a great job wearing jeans and a t-shirt in any kind of business, but it’s the people they do business with that might not see past their exterior and as a business owner I sure don’t want anything negatively labeling my employees.

    There’s still plenty of room for individuality even while having to wear a “monkey suit”.

    As the great Jerry Seinfeld once said… “Women must have developed the suit since they already say we all act the same, why not make them all dress the same”.

    Bryan

    Comment by Bryan Hauer - Blog — January 16, 2007 @ 5:03 pm

33. Right ON Mark! I work at a TV station and only the sales guys wear suits. The GM wears a suit about half of the time. I have two suits. One that I bought in 1991 and the other in 1997. I only wore them a few times; two job interviews, a court date, and a few weddings. That’s it. I had a roommate that spent a fortune having his suits dry cleaned every week. There are better ways to spend ones’ money. Yeah I like looking good but a suit? No way!

    Who invented the freaking tie? How does someone come up with such thing?

    Comment by Jose — January 16, 2007 @ 5:09 pm

34. I can sympathize with your thinking, but I personally like wearing a suit every now and then because they just plain look good. And if they are comfortable (i.e. tailored properly) I feel good too.
    I’m lucky to work at a place where I can wear jeans and a shirt if I want, and most of the time I do. But nothing quite matches the feeling of wearing a nice suit. As a bonus, chicks dig them as well.

    When the NBA instituted the dress code, my belief was that within a few weeks, the players would actually enjoy having to wear suits. It would force them to ramp up their style, and since they have money to burn, they can assemble a top-notch wardrobe. It’s easy to see that those guys look a lot sharper now, and I bet most of them would say they’ve enjoyed wearing stuff that’s a lot higher quality than they otherwise would have.

    Comment by Brade — January 16, 2007 @ 5:17 pm

35. I agree with comments 19 and 32 plus:
    Of course it is expensive wearing a suit and keeping this kind of apparel tidy. But it simply is the best looking way a man can dress himself. Be it with or without tie, leave the jacket on or not - the suit with its huge bandwidth of fitting situations is just perfect as it is. Except for the beach etc. of course.
    And if you ever go to Europe and watch some truly beautifully dressed people, say in Milan, you’ll throw all that teeeee shirt stuff in the trash. And get a decent Brioni.

    Comment by Tilman — January 16, 2007 @ 5:33 pm

36. A couple of reasons for suit wearing -

    1) It takes effort to put on fancy clothes. You have to tie the tie, tuck in the shirt, shine the shoes, dry clean the clothes, etc etc etc. If an employee wears a special outfit that requires effort to keep up and get dressed in, it shows a certain commitment to being professional. Some may believe that if their employees look around and see people who all make that effort, it will make them feel pressured to act professionally. Is this true? Maybe for some kinds of people.

    2) Don’t underestimate the significance of tradition. There is no logical reason why we do almost anything exactly the way we do it. People wouldn’t be able to operate if they didn’t have millions of traditions, big and small, to follow. Why can’t we just change the tradition? The older a tradition is, the more set in stone it seems and the less compelled people feel to question it. This freedom from questioning a tradition allows people to go on with their every day lives.

    Finally, I am all for banishing suits. Those are my best arguments for not doing so, but if I were running an office, i would want to set an example for my employees that things should be questioned, that they aren’t lemmings and that they need to think for themselves. THey can keep all their other traditions, that’ll keep them sane.

    Comment by Max — January 16, 2007 @ 5:34 pm

37. Hey Mark,

    Several thoughts:

    1. In our society, there is a perceived “level of respect” a person should give to anyone they speak to… when you dress ratty to meet me, when you don’t listen, do you really care about me or my business?

    Another thought: the “more attractive people are more successful” studies that most of us have seen… Dressing well may be considered a (non-surgical) way to look more attractive, and become more successful, earning more money.

    Althought they go into other areas of attractiveness such as height and weight, one article is here:

    “Surprise! Pretty people earn more - Fed Reserve study shows beautiful people make about 5% more than their average counterparts.”
    Link: http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/08/news/funny/beautiful_money/

    Personally, I see it as just another social construct that gives us familiarity with our surroundings. Most people in SciFi shows look like goofs in their “uniforms” but they really aren’t substantially different from our methods of dress. A tie is really just a soft, fancy belt for your neck.

    Just a thought…

    Comment by Charlie Nichols — January 16, 2007 @ 5:38 pm

38. You hate suits. I hate ties. There’s only two things a tie is good for. Keeping the hot sauce off of your shirt and blowing your nose:-)

    Rant on, Mark!

    Comment by Glenn (Customer Service Experience) Ross — January 16, 2007 @ 5:49 pm

39. Well the reason people wear suit is probably because it looks better than the alternative: whatever that may be.
    Clothes are a form of communication just like body language or posture. It conveys to the other person an idea of the type of person you are. That idea is a positive one. Now you can act like a clown and negate any benefit a suit brings. But wearing a suit is like putting your best foot forward. When you are trying to make a sale it is all about gaining an extra edge on the competition. All things being equal if your competition wore a suit and you did not, well you LOSE!

    That is my point.

    Comment by Antonio Howell — January 16, 2007 @ 5:58 pm

40. Mark,

    Youd look good in anything. Not everyone is that lucky.

    I like a man in a suit. I like a man in a t-shirt and jeans but the best accessory by far is a killer smile.

    My favorite store is Victorias Secret but Id never think of going in to work in my bra and underwear. Im pretty sure I get fired.

    Comment by Toni Marano — January 16, 2007 @ 6:00 pm

41. to poster 4. While it is a shame you had to start out with cc debt, buying a suit and tie and certainly a better reason to go into debt than most of the reasons that people do at age 21.

    Comment by superdave — January 16, 2007 @ 6:02 pm

42. I really feel your comments on unnecessary requirements at work place that people take for granted simply as rule they cannot go against without getting punished. Being Japanese working in Japan where things are more concervative and conventional, I strongly feel like having a number of headstrong elder workers who are so 20th century listen to what you have to say. Well, luckily I’m in a more casual work environment so I wear biz casual cloth without a choking tie. Everytime I ran into guys all decked out in suite and tie, I feel their pain…

    Comment by Yuji — January 16, 2007 @ 6:22 pm

43. I was on a train last year from Osan to Seoul and a guy came through selling tooth brushes and a bunch of other random stuff. Funny thing was, he was wearing a really great well put together suit and people were buying the stuff from him.

    People are pattern driven sense makers and take cues from all kinds of things, including, for better or worse, suits. When I’m in the office I wear jeans, a black tee shirt, and I rarely shave. When I’m meeting with customers from the government I wear a suit, but with a relatively simple blue or white shirt and decent tie. When I meet with commercial customers in a major metropolitan center like NYC or San Fran, I wear a nicer suit and a tie that I really like. Then I stop off somewhere for happy hour.

    Comment by Jim S — January 16, 2007 @ 6:23 pm

44. When I was hired for my first job a little over 20 years ago I started out with dress clothes (minus the coat) and a tie. After about three weeks one of my fellow programmers told me to lose the tie because it wasn’t required (most of the bosses had one so I was just following along).

    As the years went by the whole department’s attire and gradually the whole company’s attire began to move to more and more casual clothes. A large part of this I attribute to being that generation of managers. The same guys who wore suits and ties were also the clock watchers. It was just a different time… different style of dress… different style of management.

    Eventually, after I had built up enough credibility I said the heck with it and started wearing jeans every day (talk about saving money on dry cleaning). Much like yourself, if I had a meeting with someone on the outside I would dress up but that eventually became less and less.

    At first I got awkward looks for wearing jeans, but after a while nobody cared.

    I’m at another job now and have gone back to khaki’s four days a week and jeans on Friday… but the urge to go back to jeans everyday is coming back.

    Comment by Gene Wicker Jr — January 16, 2007 @ 6:52 pm

45. Mark, I concur…suits are a waste! Working in professional services we have to wear what the client wears and I can never figure out why people wear suits everyday…its so old schoool and stupid.

    Go Hoosiers!

    Comment by Mitch — January 16, 2007 @ 7:02 pm

46. Mark, Great Post!! I recently attended a wedding and I was the only one not wearing a suit. I didn’t even care. If I cared what society thought, I’d be working in a miserable office with miserable people. Instead I work at home, mostly in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. I’ll occasionally put on a polo and jeans if I have to meet with someone.

    Don’t get me wrong I own 3 suits, but I do my best to not wear them.

    Comment by Ryan — January 16, 2007 @ 7:25 pm

47. I have always thought that business casual or less will work for most jobs without a problem.

    Comment by Dustin — January 16, 2007 @ 8:09 pm

48. The majority of you who wear suits don’t look good in them. Get over yourselves. Those who do look good in them know that the rest of you don’t.

    If your business strategy requires the suit because of client expectations or whatever, then *buy* those employees who require it the appropriate suit, the correct tailor, and the proper maintenance. It seems like a minimum expense if it’s required. And if it was /that/ important, I don’t know why you’d let your employees buy used clothing - which, per the orignial post, is obviously happening.

    The alternative to the suit does not include being a slob or looking like an r-tard. I don’t know why some posters imagine that “not bathing”, sweats, and cutoffs are somehow the desired alternative. If you have employee’s who suffer from bad wardrobe decisions, then provide them with the proper training if it’s important to you.

    Otherwise, who gives a crap. Let the crossdressing /genius/ do whatever he wants - and if it bugs me, he can work from home.

    Comment by Chris D — January 16, 2007 @ 8:11 pm

49. Toni: My favorite store is Victorias Secret but Id never think of going in to work in my bra and underwear. Im pretty sure I get fired.

    Or you’ll get a promotion!

    Comment by Diego — January 16, 2007 @ 8:11 pm

50. I agree with you completely. I often wonder why sports commentators wear suits. Or basketball coaches for that matter. Check out the guys on the NFL pre-shows…they look like fools wearing suits. I think their audience would relate more to the guys wearing t-shirt and jeans. Do I really trust a commentator with a hanky in their pocket? Give me a break. What’s up with the suits?

    Comment by Tim — January 16, 2007 @ 8:39 pm

51. Even more so with a necktie.

    Comment by kenji mori — January 16, 2007 @ 8:41 pm

52. Why wear a suit? Like winash said…Because…as ZZ Top sang: “Every girl crazy ’bout a sharp dressed man…”

    Comment by Dave — January 16, 2007 @ 9:17 pm

53. Another great post. And you took the words right out of my mouth. I’ve thought the same thing a hundred times and can’t figure out why more people don’t think the same way you do on this.

    Comment by basketball drill — January 16, 2007 @ 9:20 pm

54. Why do I wear a suit?

    Why the same reason that those stuff shirt basketball owners make those high priced players wear a coat or jacket or whatever that dress code is while they are sitting on the bench being ohh so attentive.

    Why do I wear a suit?

    The same reasons that those Police wear those uniforms that make them look like penguins.

    Why do I wear a suit?

    The same reason why those basketball players back in the day wore the shortshortsand now wear those trunks so long they look like they are auditioning for MTV.

    Why do I wear a suit?

    The same reason that our men and woman in uniform wear the uniform..so they know who is on their side..and it helps them display discipline and most of all pride.

    Why do I wear a suit?

    The same reason that your little general wears a suitbecause hes been told to by some guy or gal to make sure that the products branding goes over well never mind by the second half after cursing at the refs, snorting and spitting and sweating his decorum has gone completely to hell.

    Why do I wear a suit?

    Now a-days I dont. But when I did, I must admit.I looked good do tell

    My how times have changedaww what the hell!

    ~~

    Comment by AP — January 16, 2007 @ 9:24 pm

55. Mark,

    Your comments regarding why you dont wear suits and cant figure out why others do, reminds me of another post you had a couple of years ago about being agitated whenever someone used the phase “thats the way we have always done it.” I think people who wear a suit fall into this same category.

    It wasnt that long ago that casual clothing was introduced to our society. If you look back at old photographs people were either dressed in a suit or work clothes. I think people who are wearing the suits today are doing so because thats how it was done in the past.

    Comment by Russell Driver — January 16, 2007 @ 9:32 pm

56. Hi Mark:

    This is a difference between made man and one who is trying too. You can afford to take a chance. To be honest I never could understand earing one unless you are in a cold place. But what do you think about a guy showing up for interview with out wearing a suit.

    Just cant afford that risk. Just waiting for time to write a similar rant.

    Liked your post. honest as it is!!

    Comment by Vijay Chandran — January 16, 2007 @ 10:01 pm

57. “I just could never think of any good reason for any sane person to wear a suit in the first place.”

    I was telling my wife about your post on the commute home.

    “See? I think Cuban is absolutely right,” I said. “I can’t think of any good reason for anyone to wear a suit either.”

    “I think you look really hot in a suit.”

    Enough said.

    Comment by Dave! — January 16, 2007 @ 10:12 pm

58. Right on, bro. I don’t understand why we think we have to operate like this. I have served as a pastor in southern baptist churches and I don’t understand why people think you need to wear a suit to church. I’ve got some interesting stories on this same topic.

    Comment by Britton Wesson — January 16, 2007 @ 10:38 pm

59. I find it funny that all the “rebels” here are wearing either jeans/khakis or polo/white t-shirt. YOU are wearing a suit. We all wear suits. Show up to an important meeting in flip-flops, pajamas and unshaven - and then call yourself a rebel.

    Until then, it’s nothing but pot-kettle.

    Comment by AGORACOM — January 16, 2007 @ 11:31 pm

60. Mark:

    Bottom line: The suit does not make you or the organization, etc…

    The individual (as a person) is the true fabric of an organization.

    If your good at what you do, a suit is not going to make you any better at it or improve at it, or alter your work ethic, values, etc.

    Comment by Michael — January 16, 2007 @ 11:40 pm

61. I work for a Web 2.0 incubator in Mountain View, CA called MonVia, and we’ve had several investor meetings. You couldn’t make me wear a suit — I’m going to be as “professional” with or without a suit on. It’s my work ethic that counts, not the clothes I have on.

    Comment by Sam Purtill — January 17, 2007 @ 12:00 am

62. A suit is simply to make you look different than the Janitor. Else, How would your boss know??? he he…

    Comment by Chris — January 17, 2007 @ 12:43 am

63. i agree with your state: “every day is casual day”

    

    Comment by had — January 17, 2007 @ 2:49 am

64. I can barely believe this post - you can’t figure out why anyone wears a suit? Have you seen, for example, Reservoir Dogs? The reason people wear suits is because if you wear the right one, it makes you look smart, professional and damn cool. More importantly it makes you *feel* all of those things.

    Suits aren’t just about appearance, it is the psychological aspect behind them - both in how they make you feel and how they make other people feel - that is important. If you’re missing out on that then I’m really sorry to hear that.

    All that said, enforcing suit-wearing in the work place is silly in 95% of cases.

    Comment by Colin Ramsay — January 17, 2007 @ 3:52 am

65. My company makes and sells $4000 English “Savile Row” suits to a very upmarket client list. We also sell to what I call “suit geeks”, who are a subculture unto themselves. It’s a lovely business, I have to say.

    My preferred “uniform” is jeans, black oxford shoes, blazer, and a good English shirt. I only wear the full 3-piece once or twice a month.

    What’s important in clothing is how it makes you feel. If suits don’t do it for you, that’s OK. If they do, we’re happy to have your business. If I sold jeans and polo shirts, I would say the same.

    Comment by hugh macleod — January 17, 2007 @ 4:34 am

66. A suit doesn’t have to be a prison for creativity. Being forced to wear anything would be bad, but a suit can make you feel professional and ready for work. It’s a way to seperate your home life and work life.

    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/technology/iandouglas/apr06/tie.htm

    Comment by Ian — January 17, 2007 @ 4:42 am

67. I completely agree it is ridiculous to wear a suit to have the inflated sense of self-esteem. Heck, that was one of the reasons I quit my previous job: they were going to enforce a dress code requiring us to wear suits.

    However, I must say that I really like Barney’s suits in How I Met Your Mother, and his catch phrase, “Suit up!”

    Comment by Jan! — January 17, 2007 @ 6:00 am

68. Im not the one to comment on blogs, but I have to admit that i STRONGLY agree with you! ~ There are So many people today that have that status of “Im better than you b/c I have a 3 piece suit”.. If someone enjoys a suit great! but why would a suit be mandatory? They’re uncomfortable and it can become pricey b/c we just cant have one. There has to be atleast 2 to swap out during the week.
    You made a great point “The minute you open your mouth, all those people who might think you have a great suit, forget about the suit and have to deal with the person wearing it.” Its not what someone wears but who they are inside. Just like when we were all young and heard that

    We can’t judge a book by its cover!

    Comment by Andrew — January 17, 2007 @ 6:58 am

69. Formal attire of any kind is about appearing civilized and disciplined. If an individual takes the time and energy to look professional, then he gives the impression that he truly values his work.

    If a person, however, is not concerned with his clothing choices and how they reflect on the workplace, then it also makes the statement that he doesn’t feel it necessary to commit serious attention to either his career or his coworkers’ careers.

    I don’t think the issue of a uniform is entirely about inducing conformity and restricting individuality anyway. It is far more about providing a respectable convention that eases the social interaction amongst one’s peers in vocational, educational, and governmental affairs.

    Of course suits shouldn’t be mandatory for every job, but likewise they are a custom that should not altogether be abandoned either. Whether somebody is the CEO of a major corporation or a field agent in the FBI, looking decent earns you credibility and respect.

    Seriously, I wouldn’t want to see President George Bush in Bermuda-shorts and a tee-shirt addressing the nation on television just because he decided it was in the government’s best interest to institute a casual workplace in the White House.

    PS. Keep in mind, that as part of EOE, in many states nowadays an employer cannot discriminate based on gender-identity. So, if casual dress is to be openly permitted as this article suggests, then that provides the automatic allowance for gender-bending males to wear all the dress-down attire commonly expected of their female counterparts — scoop-neck blouses, low-rise flare jeans, knee-length skirts, hoop earrings, etc. In other words, if you really want to toss fashion customs out the window, then be fully prepared for the outcome.

    Comment by Randall Krause — January 17, 2007 @ 7:01 am

70. Mark: why do basketball players where uniforms? why not just play shirts and skins? of course you couldn’t sell all those team jerseys.. suits have as long as i’ve been around been traditional business attire. i understand in silicon valley accepted business attire is khakis, loafers and polo shirts. I think your original mentor had it right, dress to make your customers comfortable, not yourself.

    Comment by geoff gilbert — January 17, 2007 @ 7:33 am

71. I used to work for this company where the boss would literally walk around on Friday with scissors and cut your tie off. It only took a couple cuts to learn that he didn’t want to see a tie on Friday. I could understand why it was only Friday. Sounds harsh, but it was actually funny.

    Comment by Jason — January 17, 2007 @ 8:33 am

72. Just catching the tail end of (71) comments; I guess Im late to this one

    glad to see you posting again;

    - all I could think while reading was - Henry David Throeau “Walden” who stated; (not comparing quality) Just good to see you still have a brillant mind - Rbowles

    on money:
    “Superfluous wealth can buy superfluities only. Money is not required to buy one necessary of the soul.”

    on success:
    “…a man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.”

    on economic equality:
    “The luxury of one class is counterbalanced by the indigence of another.”

    on smarts:
    “Sometimes we are inclined to class those who are once-and-a-half witted with the half-witted, because we appreciate only a third part of their wit.”

    on fashion:
    “The head monkey at Paris puts on a travelers cap, and all the monkeys in America do the same.”

    on change:
    “Things do not change; we change.”

    on life:
    “This is the only way [to live], we say; but there are as many ways as there can be drawn radii from one center.”

    on the future’s potential:
    “Only that day dawns to which we are awake. There is more day to dawn. The sun is but a morning-star.”

    Comment by pallet jack — January 17, 2007 @ 8:49 am

73. It might all be about the economics principle of signaling…

    Comment by PRoales — January 17, 2007 @ 8:57 am

74. I buy suits for interviews and then sell them on eBay AFTER the interview. I share your attitude when it comes to suits…

    Comment by Eddie — January 17, 2007 @ 9:01 am

75. Hi Mark,

    the moment I finished reading your article I asked myself why you don’t start telling your employees they don’t have to wear suits. Not that I want to start a new feud with David Stern, but your own Mavs employees are sitting on the bench wearing suits because they are forced to do so…and surely not all of them like it!

    So, go ahead and show the rest of the world how to do it…!

    Comment by Jan — January 17, 2007 @ 10:08 am

76. I think that ties developed originally as “bibs” for European aristocrats, so that they didn’t get sauce on their white shirts. They remain a fashion staple because they accentuate a particular body part…

    Comment by Mark — January 17, 2007 @ 10:20 am

77. Mark,
    I have to agree, but our company has gone business casual unless there are customers on campus. That said, we have folks here who wear clothes that I would wear to do yard work in to work. Totally unacceptable, but because it is a union represented environment, everyone is afraid to say anything. Thoughts?

    Comment by Matthew Harte — January 17, 2007 @ 10:41 am

78. I remember the days when my closet was filled with suits. Now I own two, and the only place Ill wear one is to weddings, funerals and the odd business meeting in Asia. Interestingly the jeans and shirts I wear everyday to the office cost more than suits I use to wear.

    BTW, one thing that really irritates me is showing up to a meeting and the other guy is wearing a really bad suit.

    To me it doesn’t matter what you wear as long as you take a little pride in how you look.

    Comment by Tim — January 17, 2007 @ 10:43 am

79. I wear suits because I like the way I look in them, and the suits I wear are comfortable. And I like suits, the same way I like jeans, and sweats, and my flannel PJs.

    Comment by Gerald — January 17, 2007 @ 10:45 am

80. Mark, not everyone has a billion or so dollars backing their “no suit to work” rule. Come on man, if I am meeting a real estate agent to sell me a house, I want him/her wearing a suit. It shows respect and professionalism. It does not give them a pass to have no clue about the house for sale, however, but I don’t want some guy showing up in jeans, air force ones, and NY Yankee fitted turned to the back. Did you ever think that perhaps one small factor of your business being a succes was that you dressed nicely and had your employees do the same? Obviously, whats under the suit is more important but……”Would you buy a new Mercedes or BMW or Bentley (whatever you drive) that was gorgeous and flawless inside, but all scratched up on the outside with a horrible paint job?”
    Now that you have ton of money…money talks, not the suit.

    Comment by James Stewart — January 17, 2007 @ 10:59 am

81. Man do I agree with this 100%. Just finishing graduate school and attending so many interviews in suit, only to have the darn thing off 5 minutes after it is over, I have grown to hate the suit a lot earlier in life. Sure I am willing to give credit to those people who manage to wear a suit everyday of their life, but in long run it just doesn’t make sense. You are the same person with or without a suit on. Hey Mark, if you are looking at highering any new minds for your business, take a look at my resume. Good luck the rest of the season.

    Comment by Eric Schmidt — January 17, 2007 @ 11:01 am

82. The reason people wear ties (and suits) is so that everyone will know who will do exactly as they are told, regardless.

    Comment by Michael — January 17, 2007 @ 11:23 am

83. Mark,

    The problem with your argument is that it becomes reductive. To avoid the reduction, you create an imaginary line of appropriateness. In other words, you deem suits unnecessary, but you’re still in support of wearing clean, untattered pants and an “appropriate” shirt.

    What makes khaki pants and a tucked in golf shirt so much more preferable to a suit and tie? Why not wear swim trunks and a dirty, ripped tank top to work every day? I’ll tell you why not–because you DO believe in the hype about clothing. You do still subscribe to the fact that “the clothes make the man” in Western culture (to at least some degree).

    Impressions and opinions of others–whether right or wrong–are very real and have very real effects on our lives. Whether it should or not, what we wear can and does shape those opinions. Therefore, what we wear has a very real effect on our lives.

    Comment by TCz — January 17, 2007 @ 11:45 am

84. In my personal opinion, I prefer to look nice when working. My workplace environment allows me to wear basically whatever I want to work. If I so choose, I can come into the office in a t-shirt and jeans. However, when I wear to work what I would wear to the bar on Friday night, or lounging around watching football on Sunday, or to the mall to buy more jeans and t-shirts, I find myself to be in the same mindset as when I am doing those other things, not in the mindset I should be in to be a productive employee.

    Someday I do aspire to be in a role where I can set the rules on what other people wear when they come in to work for me, and maybe I will set the standard that what one wears does not matter so much. But I will notice the newly graduated college kid eager to stand out by wearing a suit before I notice the kid in his holey pair of Lucky Brand jeans and his latest thrift store find. I will assume the first took the time to care about how he looks in a work environment and that the other didn’t care enough to put any more effort into what he is wearing than to pick up and put on the first thing he stepped on when he got out of bed.

    Comment by Nick — January 17, 2007 @ 11:51 am

85. I wear suits because women like the way I look in a suit. I do not have a billion dollars, so I go for whatever advantage I can find.

    Comment by TomTomTommy — January 17, 2007 @ 11:54 am

86. Ya gotta keep the suit man! How else will my favorite comment make sense when someone asks “what did you think of him”? and my answer is “He’s just an empty suit”

    Comment by MIke Genette — January 17, 2007 @ 12:01 pm

87. Unfortunately, it is a gray hair tradition and once their time has past we will see it less and less.

    I have been noticing that when the young bloods are starting to come to the forefront of company practices, there is a steady climb in business casual.

    I believe suits are more of a mental gain then a business support structure (IE dress code giving a community feeling). Suits can make people feel empowered and sway various sales decisions with the attire.

    Personally, I think suits are just fancy winter wear. But, I am sure my clients wouldnt like me to show up in my remote management gear of boxers and socks!

    Comment by Chris Cramer — January 17, 2007 @ 1:10 pm

88. 20 years ago I worked in Insurance and had to wear a Coat and Tie,not really a suit as my top and bottom DON’T match.I bought 4 at the Thrift Shop for a total of $80. Today I still have 2 that fit and wear them as needed.Having been retired for 2 years I seldom need them.When I look at the wasted hundreds of dollars sitting in closets,usually outgrown I laugh.Still a thrift Shop devotee,although I will buy a reasonable pair of New pants once in a while.

    Comment by I K — January 17, 2007 @ 1:28 pm

89. Not in agreeance here with you. I’m in sales and the first impression goes a long way. I don’t think I could initially overcome going to sales call wearing birkenstocks (with black socks), cargo shorts, and a metallica shirt (none of this being my usualywear)… even if I blessed with the platinum tongue.
    In the business world, the first impression goes a long way in determining whether someone is professional enough to provide you with services. It’s also a bit political… if you care enough to dress well when you visit a potentially big client, the big client may take some notice.
    I personally do not feel more confident in a suit, but I do feel like it only adds to the professional persona I bring to the table.
    It’s completely fine for engineers and the such to dress in whatever as they really have no outlet to the outside world.

    Comment by Matt — January 17, 2007 @ 1:31 pm

90. I wear dresses. They’re simple. No need to find matching tops and bottoms, belts, etc. No suits for me.

    Comment by Esme Vos — January 17, 2007 @ 1:45 pm

91. You wear a good looking, high quality suit (not a $99 polyester one) for tradition, respect, and class.

    And at times, to make the right impression. If none of those things hold any value to you or anyone else, then of course it doesn’t matter.

    I say this being a guy who loves plain Tshirt and jeans more than anyone. I also appreciate the qualities of tradition, respect, and class.

    Comment by Michael — January 17, 2007 @ 1:54 pm

92. One reason you might not like wearing suits: You wore suits that cost $99. Try one that costs $999. Some of them are more comfortable than jeans and a t-shirt.

    One reason some companies might require suits: Men don’t know how to dress “business casual.” Polo shirts with collars curling up. Rumpled khakis. Dirty loafers. Faded t-shirts stretching over beer bellies.

    One reason I like wearing suits: Instant respect at airports, restaurants, grocery stores, a host of other public transactions.

    Comment by Pointed Cap — January 17, 2007 @ 1:58 pm

93. I of course agree, just think how nice a job interview would be if you didn’t have to get all suited up… Man that would be sweet, if you could just wear jeans and a t-shirt, and no one would judge you.

    Where is this place, because I would move there in a heartbeat. Try telling that to the big wigs here in Manhattan, home of corp. america and they would laugh at you all the way home.

    Too bad here in the crazy world suit’s will never go away.

    Comment by Crazyglues — January 17, 2007 @ 2:34 pm

94. Mark, you ask what purpose a suit serves.

    As noted, it’s a uniform for professionals. Police, military, food servers, doormen, maitre ‘ds, inmates, they all have their own uniforms. Uniforms reflect cleanliness, dignity, seriousness, order and authority. It’s not because we’re “lemmings” to corporations or there is some imposing force (lobbied by the garment industry!), it is because for some reason we are either hard-wired or programmed to accept uniformity. In a room full of casually dressed people, the guy with the suit appears to be the leader.

    I am not a “formal” person. I like suits but I dislike all of the layers and inconvenience. I think it is a mistake though for many businesses, especially professional services like lawyers, consultants and such to go casual. I’ve worked in law firms that were “full suit everday” (in Texas, no less) and casual ones, and looking back, I prefer to be suited. While it is easier and more comfortable to go casual, I sense a loss of control over a situation when I’m not suited, especially when trying to dispense legal advice to clients.

    I sigh at the “don’t judge me for how I look” responses by the suit haters. They’re like responses against people who dislike tattoos, piercings, long [male] hair, etc. It so happens that society inherently likes the values of suits and uniforms, despite popular pushes against them (and grooming standards). Clean cut may go out of fashion but never out of favor. You can fight it all you want, but I think it can be very imprudent to push against the forces that be until you can leave or control the game. As you see, Mark Cuban wore suits until he was “made,” and then he could eschew it. Being a rebel doesn’t work that effectively until you’re in control.

    Comment by Ryan — January 17, 2007 @ 3:07 pm

95. i think its an ego thing… i dont wear a suit every day but when i need to wear a suit it becomes hard for me to walk thru doors and such cause my head is so big… it makes you feel very important when its out of the norm… i can see how it would be tho if i had to wear one every day…

    Comment by paul — January 17, 2007 @ 3:44 pm

96. Wearing a suit makes me feel rich, classy, and fashionable.

    Comment by Rob — January 17, 2007 @ 3:45 pm

97. My personal goals:
    1. To wear sandals whenever someone isn’t paying me.
    2. To pay myself. I like my rules better than anyone else’s.

    Comment by Ryan Mickle — January 17, 2007 @ 3:47 pm

98. This is why I liked working in California, and why I think the west coast is a better place to work than th east coast. I’m a bioinformatician and none of the companies I worked for in silicon valley had a required dress code. On the east coast, however… even if you’re just a simple programmer who never has to deal with the customers, you’re expected to wear a suit.

    Comment by Pierre — January 17, 2007 @ 3:47 pm

99. People always told me, “wear a suit on your interview and you will make a good first impression”.

    I personally, never wear suits, dress shirts or ties. I prefer to dress for interviews how I will dress for work every day. I will not come in once in a suit and then never again wear one.

    I prefer to make an honest and truthful first impression than a fraudulent one. I want people to be impressed with my skills, not my choice in suits or my ability to conform to standards set by people that have been dead for a very long time.

    Comment by Mike — January 17, 2007 @ 3:47 pm

100. People who claim that suits somehow “stifle their creativity” are more moronic than those who wear suits. If the clothes you wear affect how your mind works, you should seek help.

     Comment by Michael Terry — January 17, 2007 @ 3:49 pm

101. I’m also a non-suit-wearing guy, and I don’t know why people wear them either. Perhaps it is to prevent everyone from wearing cool tshirts with catchy phrases or clever graphics on them.

     Comment by WTL — January 17, 2007 @ 3:51 pm

102. I thought going into advertising would allow me for a less rigid dress code- well, I was super wrong- not only do I have to dress in corporate wear, it has to be trendy!! I essentially now have expensive wardrobes and it makes me sick. I just started the “real” job in Sept…and I can’t wait until I move up the ladder a few steps so I can stop being uncomfortable and irritated all day. What makes things worse is all the creative people get to wear whatever they want..I’d be willing to dress nice for client meetings, but I’m not in those yet.

     I can’t begin to stress how my productivity increases on Friday when I can wear what I want.

     Soo frustrating.

     Comment by S — January 17, 2007 @ 3:52 pm

103. I work for a company with offices in NYC, Houston, and LA. When we have internal meetings in NYC, we all wear suits. In Houston, it’s button down shirts, in LA its polos and khakis. Same people, same discussions, three different cities, three different attires. Why does any of it actually matter?

     Comment by Jim — January 17, 2007 @ 3:55 pm

104. Not many places require them as much as they used to. IBM used to be so strict guys had to wear sock garders to keep their socks up.

     Comment by flash devs — January 17, 2007 @ 3:56 pm

105. I’m a college student and I work part time (holidays and some weekends) in an outsourced call center. Dress code is smart casual (slacks, a polo shirt and decent shoes [*not* trainers] will suffice) as potential clients are sometimes shown around the premises. Fridays are Casual days.

     I personally own a suit, I got one the year before college as I had a few Debs’ to go to (the Irish equivalent to the US Prom, check it on Wikipedia) and for future Weddings, Funerals and Job Interviews. I wore it into work the last day I worked before term started again, for the laugh, to see what reaction I got. All my fellow employees though I was being called to court as this was the only logical explanation they could see for a young person to be wearing a suit on a normal work day.

     Comment by David Dolphin — January 17, 2007 @ 4:00 pm

106. Wearing a suit is just another example of a bygone era, like carrying a briefcase. Times have changed; nobody carries a briefcase anymore. I never wear a suit and get to wear jeans on Friday, I think that should become the standard now.

     Comment by michael — January 17, 2007 @ 4:01 pm

107. The threads on your back might make an impression, but in the end, it’s the individual we should pay most attention to.

     Comment by Ronald Lewis — January 17, 2007 @ 4:03 pm

108. Amen! Not only are suits expensive, moths find them delicious. When was the last time you had to store your jeans and t-shirts properly for fear of them being eaten by insects?

     Comment by Mike — January 17, 2007 @ 4:08 pm

109. Mark:

     I feel the same way. When I do wear a suit I do so as a sign of respect for people I’m meeting. As for creativity, blue jeans and t-shirts are the way to go.

     Comment by Jason Beaudreau — January 17, 2007 @ 4:10 pm

110. I completely disagree. I started wearing a suit everyday (the only one at my software company) and have been amazed at the impression my dress makes on others (especially from the generations that grew up before the 60s) and my own changed perspective. Jeffrey Tucker puts it well in his “How to Dress Like a Man”:
     “They say this is fine [wearing yard work clothes to work, etc.] because it is comfortable as if the only thing that matters in life is comfort. Well, it is also comfortable not to shave and not to bathe, and we have a word for people like that: slobs.”
     http://www.lewrockwell.com/tucker/tucker38.html

     Comment by Stephen W. Carson — January 17, 2007 @ 4:14 pm

111. I’ve never *had* to wear a suit, but I often *choose* to wear a suit. Personally, I like them. Isn’t that enough reason? I don’t rant and rave about people who wear baggy pants that fall off of them. I would never, ever wear such clothing myself, and it looks like the most uncomfortable thing ever, but everyone has their own tastes.

     You don’t seem to believe that anyone would ever wear a suit unless “forced” to. There is such a thing as style and fashion, you know. It’s fine if you don’t subscribe to such things, but to claim that you literally cannot understand why anyone, ever, would wear one seems to me to really be stretching it.

     Myself, I’d love to have a nice Armani suit. And believe me, if I ever get one, I’m going to wear it to work despite the fact that everyone else is in jeans and t-shirts. You know why? Because I like them, I feel comfortable wearing them, and I think they’re cool. So stop raining on my parade, dude!

     Comment by Jonathan Henderson — January 17, 2007 @ 4:14 pm

112. I couldn’t agree more–suits are a waste of time and money. In an effort to get me to dress better, my wife once told me to dress for the job I wanted, rather than the job I had. I said, “Okay, I’ll show up to work in a Red Sox uniform.” She has never said that again.

     While we’re on the subject of things that need to be eliminated, how about fancy china?! If it doesn’t make the food taste any better, I’m not sure why I should be wasting my money on it.

     Comment by BostonMike — January 17, 2007 @ 4:19 pm

113. When I went back to contracting in 1997, one of the first questions I asked was “Do I have to wear a suit and tie?” I generally turned the job done if I had, unless they’d at least let me ditch the tie.

     Comment by raj — January 17, 2007 @ 4:19 pm

114. chicks dig guys in suits.

     Comment by nickolas — January 17, 2007 @ 4:24 pm

115. 110% agree with you Mark.

     Suits are ridiculously outdated in today’s world where comfort is more important than trying to impress someone.

     It is true that suits do make a guy look sharp and on women they get a power look also. But only because we’ve all been hypnotized visually by a 100 years of seeing the most important and powerful people wearing suits, and then the more wealthy you are the more high end the suit on you. It’s really bizarre when you think about it.

     I only wear suits to weddings and funerals. I guess we’re all still stuck with that for now. LOL But I hate every minute of that confined feeling and that damn tie around my neck.

     Suits evolved obviously to distinguish the classes in our society. I’m sure in the very beginning to be able to buy a suit and they were all custom made back then, it was a BIG DEAL. This started the ball rolling and guys with the most money wore the nicest suits. When corporate America began, and especially IBM, the white shirt, tie and dark suit basically became the uniform required by society to look like an executive or professional. It was a trap and men fell in generation after generation to conform.

     Gradually, as corporations have lost their lustre and more entreprenurial style businesses began with the advent of the technology era you had non-conformist CEO’s running the show and setting the lead for style. It was great to see when companies no longer require employees to wear ties. Then it was no more jackets, but still look dressy. Then it went to hey be comfortable and wear whatever you want.

     And this gave us our FREEDOM to be ourselves!!! No longer did corporate society look down on you if you went to work or meetings without a tie and suit. Soon it caught on like wildfire and most companies and it became one of the first questions prospective execs would ask about a company they were considering working for, “What’s your dress code?”.

     I’d say by another 100 years, there won’t be suits at all and we’ll be totally dressed futuristically with exotic new fabrics that will be able to transform colors to whatever we desire by using quantum nanotechnology of some sort. Fabrics that will be embedded with all sorts of sensors to allow more air in when we get warm and tighten the fabric bind when we get cold. But it will be all about comfort and embedded apparel technology.

     It’s fantastic to see so many non-conformists and non suit wearers in this current generation of young entrepreneurs! Corporate america has no choice but to accept reality. People don’t like suits and ties. They are uncomfortable and reduce your work efficientcy and productivity.

     Comfort rules and deservedly so!!

     Comment by Kevin - BigTicketDomains.com — January 17, 2007 @ 4:27 pm

116. Hey Mark, never really heard of you before today (I’m from the UK) but I agree with you totally. I’m a consultant so am expected to wear a suit whenever I’m with a client, that’s fine and it doesn’t bother me but it’s only that way because everyone thinks that wearing a suit makes better business and as you know - it doesn’t and I’m sure I’d be more productive if I were more comfortable. I doubt things will change any time soon though - dress is much more relaxed than it used to be but there’s still a long way to go.

     Comment by thirtyfootscrew — January 17, 2007 @ 4:30 pm

117. I feel like a fraud in a suit. I’d rather spend a couple hundred bucks on jeans than a hideous suit anyday. Amen Mark.

     Comment by Lacey — January 17, 2007 @ 4:39 pm

118. You are in a position where wearing a suit is not necessary. I don’t hate suits, and I don’t love suits, but there are some reasons to wear them.

     The main reason you already hit in your post. You wear them to weddings because it is easier than explaining why you are not. That may seem trivial, but when I am trying to explain a complex idea or convince someone to buy something or do something in a different way, there are already enough distractions available; I don’t want them to be worried about my attire. If getting the message through is easier in a monkey suit, I’m going ape.

     I’m a prof, and aside from some of the practical issues (it’s nice to have extra pockets), a jacket is what students expect, and it helps them learn. That’s right: the sports jacket is a learning tool. Students who are taught by someone in a sports jacket think that the person is more knowledgeable, more engaging, and more interesting. (One of my former graduate students has done research in this area.) Students learn more when they are interested and engaged. I can break those expectations, and often do, but really, there are more important kinds of boundaries I want them to be traversing.

     So, sometimes I wear a suit because–as silly as it may be–it is an effective communication tool.

     Comment by Alex Halavais — January 17, 2007 @ 4:45 pm

119. Simple: it hides your gut.

     Comment by Alex — January 17, 2007 @ 4:46 pm

120. Mark, your point is made in exactly the opposite direction.

     The reason why we wear suits:
     To get in the same position you did when you stopped wearing suits: to trade stocks for 5 years then have enough money for Broadcast.com

     Suits DID help you get there my friend. BTW: I don’t wear a suit anywhere. I’ll let you know when I get to start trading stocks.

     My guess: you did the right thing for those years you wore a suit. Not to confirm your confidence but to help communicate to those that can’t see your confidence without a suit.

     Comment by KennyMatrix — January 17, 2007 @ 4:46 pm

121. Now, I may not have a job that requires a suit, but I do own one, and I love to wear it.
     Because: 1. I look damn good in it. 2. I feel good in it. 3. It’s easy, no thinking about what to put together, it’s just there.

     Comment by Matt R — January 17, 2007 @ 4:47 pm

122. Check out the encyclopedia of fashion ( if you know where to look you will find it;-) )and you will discover that the suit is derived from the military uniform and that the shaved face is new too(WWI), it was introduced to allow an air tight fit between the face and the gas mask.

     Comment by Dan — January 17, 2007 @ 4:47 pm

123. I have to disagree. It’s all part of the “scumming down” of America. You get on a plane and some fat whore is wearing compression shorts and a tank top. Let’s bring back the well dressed American standard of yesteryears.

     Comment by Frank Doss — January 17, 2007 @ 4:47 pm

124. suits are a leftover from the feudal days of european society. to distingush upper classes from the lower classes, elaborate outfits were created that were simply impossible for the lower classses to afford, much less keep clean.

     you can’t do manual labor in a suit and keep it clean.

     i sold my software company back in 1997 for a song, and bought a suit for my interview on CNN a couple of weeks after. i will never wear a suit again except for weddings and funerals, only because i don’t want to offend my religious nutjob family members and cause a scene.

     suits are just a psychological leftover from the 1700s that stuck around.

     it’s time for them to go.

     Comment by james — January 17, 2007 @ 4:53 pm

125. You’re also an entrepreneur who can make up his own hours, dress code, and the like. Not that you’ve always had it that way. But it’s easier to say that now that it would be if you were 22 yrs old, just out of school, trying to land a job. Having said that, I totally agree with you.

     Comment by basketball drill — January 17, 2007 @ 5:07 pm

126. Post #19 Surya, and others…

     Having done both in my careers and currently in a Financial Institution that doesn’t require suits - I applaud this idea.

     Business Casual can make you look just as smart and feel just as confident as a suit. Some of the smartest guys I know, responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars in financial transactions, can’t match colors.

     Are suits necessary? Sure, for the same reason you wear a suit to a wedding. It shows respect for a particular person (visiting dignitary), place (church) or thing (e.g. Formal dinner/Awards ceremony). Is it necessary for going to work with your peers every day. Absolutely not…!

     Ditch the suit and use it for occasions that require it. If you need a suit to prove how important you are, guess what? You’re a tool and everyone knows it suit or not!

     Nice post Mark. Cheers!

     Comment by Jordan — January 17, 2007 @ 5:07 pm

127. I have to agree. I think you should take it a step further for warmer climates. I see no reason to wear pants.

     Comment by Jesse Mullan — January 17, 2007 @ 5:18 pm

128. I couldn’t agree more.. a success like you can do whatever he wants and nobody could ever say it’s wrong with what you’ve achieved.

     Comment by Chuck Nguyen — January 17, 2007 @ 5:23 pm

129. Suit, schmuit. Wear what you look good in. If you have a 60″ waist you’re going to look a lot better in a suit than a T-shirt (think the Comic Book Store Guy in The Simpsons).

     The other argument for the suit - not that I wear one - is that it gives the other guy nothing by which to pre-judge you. That may or may not be a good thing.

     SO what do you think about Rolexes and other bling?

     Comment by Tim H — January 17, 2007 @ 5:25 pm

130. I agree with you completely… Personally I hate wearing suits also.

     Comment by Timoty — January 17, 2007 @ 5:25 pm

131. As a respected business owner could you come to my workplace in New Zealand and tell my bosses this?

     My contract says that I am to wear tidy clothes which I can handle and do but they are trying to force me to wear a tie which I flat out refuse to do.

     I am a hardware engineer and am working over spinning fans etc so a tie is a health and saftey issue but when I try to tell them this they think I’m joking.

     Tidy clothes are not good in my line of work. For the last week I’ve been doing a project replacing CRTs with LCDs and at the end of the site, let alone the day, my clothes are covered in dust and dirt etc.

     Please come and tell my bosses that clothes don’t represent professionalism but that it’s all in the attitude. They may take someone like you seriously as opposed to someone who works for them.

     Comment by Loweded Wookie — January 17, 2007 @ 5:33 pm

132. It’s all about proving to your employer that you will not be the nail that sticks out. Conformity. That’s why the military does it. That’s why corporate America does it. It doesn’t matter if it’s 95 degrees and humid in the subway station, I usually am the only one who takes off his suit coat. And I get the strange looks! I would not want an employee who goes against his own common sense just to “stay in line”.

     Comment by Frank — January 17, 2007 @ 5:33 pm

133. Dude I agree. I’m a chick but I hate having to walk down the street wearing job interview clothes. Living in rural Australia usually means wearing t-shirt or singlet and jeans around the streets and a nice outfit when you’re going out somewhere nice. Big blazers and high heals and all that other crap when you go into town makes you stand out. They make me feel kinda important but I also feel amazingly over dressed and get the horrible feeling that everyone looks at me. They probably don’t but eh. I’d be just as happy, look nicer, and be alot more comfortable just wearing a nice button up shirt and a skirt with a nice pair of flats. I hate heals.

     And to whoever it was up there that commented on the school uniform thing being related to this…its not exactly. School uniforms all cost the same…they cost a shitload…but they’re the same. Suits can cost anywhere from like $50 (If you’re DAMN lucky) to $500. The more your suit costs…the more “important” you are…or atleast thats what corporates like to think.

     Comment by Vampsy — January 17, 2007 @ 5:34 pm

134. I am not at all a suit guy, and normally I am kicking and screaming before being forced to put one on (you can probably tell I am another web site owner). This only happens about 10 times a year, so I can deal with it.

     Just to play devil’s advocate-
     - suits are warm, which is nice for NYC winters
     - cost effective, you can get buy with just one or two and wear them a few times a week
     - some people look good in a suit (even a cheap one)
     - a jacket does a great job of hiding a beer belly (or tattoos, etc)

     Comment by Sal Cangeloso — January 17, 2007 @ 5:37 pm

135.   I think you missed the point when you assumed that people wear suits for confidence. I don’t think it’s confidence, per se, but what you are wearing will affect your mood and your focus.

     For example, I do some of best thinking while sitting around at home in my underwear. It’s comfortable. I have some great ideas sometimes.

     Contrariwise, feeling more professional can have its advantages. At work, due to the nature of what I do, I am treated differently and I also act differently (two dynamic factors), and I prefer the influence of more “professional” attire.

     I can respect and understand why no one would want to wear a suit, but is it so difficult to respect and understand why someone would not? 

     Comment by jessemoya — January 17, 2007 @ 5:37 pm

136. 1. Suits make middle-aged men look better. Notice that the cut of the lapel and the drape of the jacket disguise the pot belly.
     2. Suits distinguish the wearer from those who do manual labor. Wrinkles cannot be present, the suit coat is cut to make movement difficult, the shoes are shiny, so therefore no dirt, the socks and shoes are inadequate for walking — actually they will land you in a world of orthopaedic pain eventually.
     3. Suits are expensive to buy and extremely expensive to maintain, and you must purchase at least 3-5 of them. This shows the world that the wearer is from an upper income bracket. Status.
     4. Suits make young men look like dorks. And this is important, because a young man starting out needs the approval of the older, established men. And that young man is more attractive to the young women, with non-Republican hair, tans, lowfat bods. Soo, a suit and a haircut is really a symbolic castration ritual to bring the young apes down the ladder below the older bulls. Harsh, but true. No matter how much you tell yourself you look better in a suit rather than a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, it just ain’t so. Suits represent wealth, power, and integration into the business world, which is attractive to the opposite sex for reasons of status rather than sexuality, tho the two are inevitably confused.

     Comment by catbeller — January 17, 2007 @ 5:52 pm

137. I personally feel much better attending to a formal reunion with a suit
     Its not about a conspiracy or people making you wear one, its just a formal clothes for formal events…

     But its often over-used, some CEO s make you wear a suit even if it’s not even necessary, I mean, you can work with any outfit you want.

     Suits are about Formality, Good-Looking, Sexiness but most of all for reflecting the world about your good habits.

     Comment by Ivan — January 17, 2007 @ 5:52 pm

138. I don’t know how I feel about the whole suit thing. I understand that there’s a lesson behind it, like question assumptions, as others have pointed out. But let’s get to the example. I act differently when I wear a suit. Luckily, I’m able to wear jeans and a t-shirt to work everyday, but on the few occasions that I do dress up, I act differently. I treat others differently. It’s almost sub-conscious. Costco has a dress standard of collared, tucked in shirts. I think the employees act differently at Costco then if they were working at a different retail store. I can understand saying that wearing a suit everyday might diminish the effects of the sub-conscious behavior change, but having a dress code affects behavior. When I was a teenager, I would go to dances. Some were casual, others required a collared shirt and tie or skirts. The dress up dances had a different feel to them. I think it doesn’t matter what you’re wearing, but the experience associated with it. If you don’t normally dress up, then it’s a special experience and you act different. If you do normally dress up, then it’s just another everyday thing.

     Comment by Dan Sage — January 17, 2007 @ 6:03 pm

139. Dude, can you do us all a huge favour? It’s guys like you that have the power to change these stupid paradigms.

     Speak out publicly against the suit, Mark. Please.

     Comment by Chad Poirier — January 17, 2007 @ 6:13 pm

140. Its just material isn’t it? Why the obsession from those who set the codes?

     What would people think of me because I do not feel a functionless piece of cloth dangling from my neck that gets tangled in … wait a minute….brainstorm here……When I need to, I can adjust the tie as useful body language. Or can display dominance by having a red tie and not having to adjust it. Yeeah…..

     The NBA created a dress code because it was worried about image. They sent the message: “Don’t let us see who they really are unless its on an episode of ‘Cribs’”. Gluttony is good marketing. The rest of the world loves that don’t they?

     Ignore the guy who lives comfortably but also gives a lot of time to the community, he wears a sweater.

     When we see a suit why not think; “Kenneth Lay”, A “highly successful super moral high character business focused powerhouse that I can trust with my money”. Then again, maybe that is what we do think. Because outside of the moral part he and his cohorts were all of those other things.

     I wear a shirt and tie each a day as a uniform just like athletes wear in their respective field. When required to include a coat (in 90+ degree weather) I ask for the nearest thrift store where I could purchase a suitable garment for $15 or so and give it back at the conclusion of our business. This does not go over well. Why not? I was willing to meet their needs wasn’t I?

     I once knew a skilled colleague that wore a lime green tie, orange shirt, black pants that were 2 inch floods with white socks. He told me “I wore a freaking military uniform for 20 years serving this economy only to be greeted in the ‘free’ world with another dress code. I can dress however the hell I want to, and I am in compliance.”

     On the equalization issue: Those being paid well not being separated from those making the minimum by all having to wear suits. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE !! Why the need for the illusion? Really, its not a loaded question. We know the difference by our vacations, houses, cars, big screen TVs and so on. Is the dress really fooling anyone?

     A company decided to be ‘modern’and go to a casual dress code. A girl with a huge rack came into work wearing a tube top and distracted everyone (me)…. no I am sorry that was a fantasy. All that happened was a dude grew a beard and I thought of Al Queda.

     Time to simplify this lengthy comment and make a point. If we would all just wear suits and be happy doing so the world would be a better place and far less complex. There is no need to learn to accept each others diversity when when clothes can make us all look the same. And BTW I look great in a suit too.

     Comment by Steve DeFino — January 17, 2007 @ 6:28 pm

141. Hey Mark, I totally agree with your assessment, at what point did a particular type of clothing have any importance to the kind of work you do or don’t do. It’s one thing to look professional, it’s another for so many employers to have mandated dress codes that require wearing expensive to maintain and uncomfortable clothing on a daily basis.

     Comment by Dan Bailey — January 17, 2007 @ 6:42 pm

142. Would you support a sports team that didn’t have matching uniforms? A suit is just a sign of organization and structure. Sure wearing one everyday is a pain, (what sports team does that) but it helps to look professional when you’re trying to be professional.

     Comment by Motorcycle Guy — January 17, 2007 @ 6:45 pm

143. I’m very familiar with Mark Cuban’s success but I disagree with his attitude toward professional attire. It’s easy to spot who is wearing the $99 polyester suit and who is wearing the Armani.
     A great suit makes a statement about the person wearing it.
     It says “I am in control, have impecable fashion sense, am powerful, and can afford luxuries that others cannot”.
     A bad suit says “I’m really trying and maybe someday I’ll make it.” All suits are not created equal.
     Like any other status symbol or piece of clothing, the suit is an accessory that helps to convey the message of who you are.

     Russell Rockefeller
     CEO
     ExtravagantMedia.com
     http://www.myspace.com/extravagantmedia

     Comment by Russell Rockefeller — January 17, 2007 @ 6:54 pm

144. I’m very familiar with Mark Cuban’s success but I disagree with his attitude toward professional attire. It’s easy to spot who is wearing the $99 polyester suit and who is wearing the Armani.
     A great suit makes a statement about the person wearing it.
     It says “I am in control, have impecable fashion sense, am powerful, and can afford luxuries that others cannot”.
     A bad suit says “I’m really trying and maybe someday I’ll make it.” All suits are not created equal.
     Like any other status symbol or piece of clothing, the suit is an accessory that helps to convey the message of who you are.

     Russell Rockefeller
     CEO
     ExtravagantMedia.com
     http://www.myspace.com/extravagantmedia

     Comment by Russell Rockefeller — January 17, 2007 @ 6:56 pm

145. Why where a suit? Why, because they’re wonderful pieces of clothing. They look snazzy when properly fitted and of good construction. I work for an agency that hires people for thier minds and abilities, not for what they wear, and it shows. Most of my peers wear jeans and a t-shirt to work, but I refuse. A suit not only looks and feels good, but it looks professional.

     To quote the French, dressing well is about showing respect for those around you.

     Comment by Kimo — January 17, 2007 @ 7:18 pm

146. I have $900 in my pocket…..

     I could spend it on an expensive suit instead of a cheap one in order to make a contrived statement about “who I am and my magnificent significance” to the world….

     Or I could spend $200 on a leather jacket and have enough left over to take my wife out on more than one fantastic date night.

     Would she prefer the fabric or the adventure………….

     Comment by Steve DeFino — January 17, 2007 @ 7:26 pm

147. This all brought back terrible memories of my early career in food service. We had a district manager that required all his managers to dress in ties. No dockers cords, nothing. So there I am 20 something years old sweating like a pig behind the cooks line.

     I can understand him wanting us to be professional but it’s the person and the work ethic that make the professional, not the damn suit and tie.

     20 years later I am wearing whatever I want to wear into work and making 5 times the salary, thank god I did a career change into IT. Now instead of spending money on suits and dry cleaning I can afford to buy the tools needed to keep up in my field.

     Comment by TimD — January 17, 2007 @ 7:53 pm

148. I’d really like to hear what Thomas Mahon of englishcut.com has to say about this topic.

     I have a very comfortable (but inexpensive) suit that I don’t wear often, but don’t mind. People like the way I look in it, and it does a good job of flattering my figure. I don’t know if it gives me any extra confidence, but I do get a different response from people when I wear it.

     Comment by Jemaleddin — January 17, 2007 @ 8:20 pm

149. Suits are never good. I had to wear them when I worked part time in college for a real estate dev firm. I was their gopher, and I had to wear a suit! what is that? i couldnt even afford food yet alone suits. From that day on, I vowed to not work in a place that wore suits, because it doesnt really foster creativity, and most people dont feel comfortable in them. I know that everyone at that company that wasn’t the boss hated wearing suits, and theyd gripe and groan all day.

     thank goodness for startups and having my own startup, its all casual all day. As long as your work gets done, i dont care if you’re in the office, yet alone if you’re wearing a bunny outfit.

     Suits suck. 40-60 hours of ‘face-time’ sucks.

     Comment by adam — January 17, 2007 @ 8:22 pm

150. I tend to dress casually or in a suit depending on what mood I’m in . I’ll mostly wear a suit if I’m meeting cl