What are some careers that let me carry a breifcase and wear a suit and tie? (1 Viewer)

[Richard Travale]

A friend of mine is a manager at a local bank. He started out as a lender and worked his way up but he has worn a suit and briefcase to work everyday he has been there except for "casual fridays". Maybe banking might be in the cards for you. Wasn't Nic Cage an investment banker by the way?

 

[Jeff Kleist]

I think the suit should be banned personally, what possible use is it to wear uncomfortable clothes that can only hinder your working?

(I know all about the "look" aspect, but it's still not a valid reason IMO)

Held by the noose:

 

[Kevin P]

I've seen several articles lately about the return to business formal from business casual, and how productivity is better with suits, and how casual work wear can only hurt your company.

Now there's a lie if I ever heard one. Someone actually thinks that wearing uncomfortable clothes makes you work better? I don't think so. It may be "fun" to dress up if you don't do it everyday, but believe me, if you have to do it every day, it gets OLD VERY quickly. You're basically stuck wearing the same thing, day after day. Don't you want some variety? I'd like to see suits disappear entirely, if you want my opinion. Not only are they uncomfortable and expensive, they make all the men basically look the same. In the same office, women still have a variety of options, in terms of colors, styles, etc. Business suits also seem to wear out a lot faster than more casual clothes. I used to have to wear a coat and tie and I was lucky if I got 6 months out of a coat before it started to fall apart. And I was driven to the brink of insanity being forced to wear the same outfit day after day, just to sit in a cubicle and write code.

KJP

 

[Shawn C]

And I was driven to the brink of insanity being forced to wear the same outfit day after day, just to sit in a cubicle and write code

I hear ya. I'm a programmer myself and the idea of having to wear a tie is absolutely mind-boggling. I swore 2 years ago I would never, ever have a job where I had to wear a suit or a tie again.

 

[NickSo]

Im the exact opposite of shawn... i swear i will not grow up to sit in front of a computer day by day writing code...

 

[Charles J P]

In the same office, women still have a variety of options, in terms of colors, styles, etc.

Besides the ease of coming up with more variety, I've noticed women arent held to as high of a standard. I see my female co-workers wearing something like tan pants, a white cotton shirt that is really no more than a freaking t-shirt, and a navy blue blazer, and this is considered professional dress. Yet one day, when I asked if I could wear some of my sports coats that I have (all conservative... navy blue, dark brown camel hair, grey twill, etc.) with a shirt and tie of course, I was told that a jacket that doesnt "match" the pants is a sports coat (duh) and we are required to wear a suit. I have seen this discrepancy between what qualifies as professional for men vs. women at other places besides my workplace. The bottom line is, suits are a costume. Its a costume you wear to look important. And the wearing of such costumes is perpetuated by stubborn old white men who like they way they look in a suit, and feel important. I guess in my line of business you have to look important since for the most part, my coworkers (and myself sometimes) dont have a damn clue what we're talking about. Jack of all trades, master of none.

 

[BrianB]

i swear i will not grow up to sit in front of a computer day by day writing code...

Some of us enjoy it, Nick

 

[Brent Cantrell]

Yeah Nick, I can't honestly think of anything I'd rather be doing...(other than Angelins Jolie)... It's a very enjoyable job, and since I don't 'relate' well to others (that geek cliche'), I get left alone. AND NO SUITS!!!

 

[MikeAlletto]

I've seen several articles lately about the return to business formal from business casual, and how productivity is better with suits, and how casual work wear can only hurt your company.

Hahaha...who wrote those articles? A 60 year old man who grew up wearing suits and doesn't know any better? A happy employee is a productive employee. Its as simple as that. If the employee is 'happy' (shutter) wearing a suit then fine, but I bet most people aren't. Suits are expensive too! And the company never would pay for it yet they require employees to wear what is basically a uniform.

 

[MikeF]

It's changing back. "Business casual" was largely a product of the internet bubble, when lawyers and investment bankers started to dress more like their clients. That culture has largely faded into history, and the old ways are starting to reassert themselves.

Have you actually seen this first-hand? I've been in the offices of several white shoe New York law firms in the last few months and have rarely seen anyone wearing a tie, let alone a suit. At one of those firms, I've seen people running around in cargo pants and GAP sweaters! The consistently dressiest seem to be the i-bankers at one particularly prestigious institution -- even they, however, seem to stick with shirt, slacks, and blazer.

One caveat: any lawyer or banker meeting with a client for whom business casual is not standard will no doubt put on a suit. I'm talking about day-to-day office attire, though.

 

[Mark Paquette]

What are they going to do? Fire you for lack of dress code?

Yep, they sure will. It's called insubordination. If your employer has some kind of dress code policy and you don't follow it, then my guess is it could lead to firing if you refuse to follow it.

 

[Henry Carmona]

Jehova's Witness

 

[MikeAlletto]

Yep, they sure will. It's called insubordination. If your employer has some kind of dress code policy and you don't follow it, then my guess is it could lead to firing if you refuse to follow it.

Thats just messed up. They should worry about keeping track of who is cooking the books more instead of what people wear. It's like high school for adults. Reasons like this are exactly why I am hesitant about managing certain people. I love managing, I hate babysitting.

 

[Tony G]

Don't become an anesthesiologist. I wear scrubs, which are pretty much the equivalent of pajamas, all day!

Tony

 

[Nathan*W]

Wow, what a suit-hating crowd. I like wearing suits, personally. Having a suit tailored will go a LONG way in the comfort area. I have three myself: grey, olive, and a double breasted, and I look damn good in all of 'em. Raises my self esteem a notch and make me feel better about having to be at my crappy job.

 

[JoshF]

I have a small interactive company in NYC and the last thing I'm gonna do is make people wear suits. Occasionally we'll don a suit for a meeting with a stiff client (this has happened twice in the last two years, mind you, and both times we were overdressed), but I would never think that making my people wear suits for days at the office would make them more productive.

If anything, they'd complain and be uncomfortable when they could be getting work done.

 

[Mike Voigt]

I'll wear the occasional suit and tie, but it is definitely very occasional. Perhaps an interview, perhaps a formal lunch/dinner engagement, or perhaps taking my wife out to a really nice place.
But, given I work in the chemical industry, around mechanical equipment, wearing a tie is a no-no. Unless you really feel like getting strangled by it getting caught in a pump shaft or something...
Same holds true for dress shirts (especially white ones - ever see what grease can do to one of those? it is really ugly!), though the company I work for offers very basic slacks and pretty decent oxfords (short and long sleeve).
Some corporate engineering offices still prefer you wear coat and tie. But they can be the blazer type, doesn't have to be a full match.
And I agree that getting them tailored makes for much better fit...
What I'd prefer to see more of is dinner jackets. Black shirt and a white/off-white dinner jacket. Looks awesome!

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Don't become an anesthesiologist. I wear scrubs, which are pretty much the equivalent of pajamas, all day!

Sounds comfy

 

[Tim Markley]

Count me as another coder who can't stand to wear a suit or tie. I won't even wear a suit to an interview and can barely accept wearing a tie to one. I've never understood what the purpose of a neck tie is.

 

[Shawn C]

If I'm wearing a suit, or even a tie, I better be at a wedding or a funeral.