Work Less and Do More

24 responses so far ↓

• 1 Sarah // Jun 23, 2009 at 9:54 am

  I wouldn’t, but only because T-shirts do nothing for my figure. Allegedly I feel more confident when I look nice.

• 2 Mario // Jun 23, 2009 at 9:57 am

  I believe that wearing whatever is that you are comfortable in is the way to go, so yes I would wear a t-shirt and jeans if I felt like it.

  On top of that been yourself gives you confidence, and confidence beams and becomes very apparent to those around you, and to me thats a big plus .

• 3 Larry Roth // Jun 23, 2009 at 10:05 am

  I personally would not wear jeans and a T-Shirt to a business event. A business event is not a casual event, and you should dress appropriately.

  You will be letting people know you are taking the event, and subsequently your career more seriously.

  Best of luck, let us know how your do!

• 4 Rachel // Jun 23, 2009 at 10:07 am

  I would not, because I’m not as successful as Steve Jobs. If I were, I might.

• 5 Jennifer // Jun 23, 2009 at 10:16 am

  I would not b/c I don’t think jeans are appropriate business attire. I suppose there are women’s dress jeans, with heals and a blouse, that’s ok. But not a T-shirt. I think just a little bit of care promotes your image a sincere person who does good work.

• 6 Taylor Kent // Jun 23, 2009 at 10:16 am

  Yes, I would wear jeans and a t-shirt to a business event. Well, I would wear what I normally wear, if that happened to be jeans and a t-shirt then that is what I would wear, unless there is a specific, stated dress code. (IOW, I would not wear jeans and a t-shirt to a event specifically stated to be “black tie”, but I would to an event with no stated dress code.)

  I am a non-conformist, confident in my abilities, and believe it is better for people to be real than to put on a show to impress others. Judging people by there dress, and/or appearance, is foolishness in a society that claims to value diversity. And ultimately do you want to work with or deal with those who are more concern about your appearance than your abilities or ideas?

• 7 Sheila // Jun 23, 2009 at 10:18 am

  Possibly if they were a “stylish” dark wash jean and a polo instead of a t-shirt… It might depend on the type of event. What do I think would happen? Most likely nothing! Go for comfort!

• 8 Jennifer // Jun 23, 2009 at 10:19 am

  That would be heels!

• 9 Stever // Jun 23, 2009 at 10:22 am

  I used to think very much like Larry (comment #3), and that’s the assumption I’m testing out.

  When I thought about it carefully, I realized that I’ve never been approached at a business event where I wasn’t the speaker. I’ve *always* approached other people to strike up conversations. So the fear that I’ll be ostracized seems silly, given that I was already being ostracized, in the sense of having to make the first move.

  It’s very odd. I’ve experienced significant stress throughout my life over feeling like I didn’t know how to dress, and when I dressed “properly,” I didn’t feel authentic to myself.

  This is an experiment in being authentic to myself, and testing out those beliefs that it will somehow hurt my career.

  (The Get-it-Done Guy podcast was originally an outlet for me to express myself creatively and authentically, since my business podcast was boring me to tears. Surprise surprise, the Get-it-Done Guy gets 100x the visitors of my old podcast. Hmm…)

• 10 T.J. Anderson // Jun 23, 2009 at 10:25 am

  I find that the clothes I wear have a lot to do with the attitude I take. I’ll dress up for exams because then I’m less likely to let my mind wander. Weird I know. But I think your dress also says to the other person how you feel about the event. Wearing a t-shirt and jeans may say that you are comfortable and confident, it may also say that you don’t care. That this event is just like watching another episode of “lost”; “I’m here on time, I wouldn’t miss this, but I don’t care enough to make it an event.” But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and you can’t win them all. Unfortunately what you wear is your wrapper, and any marketer will tell you that companies spend a lot of time on the packaging of a product.

  I personally like jeans because they are comfortable, but wear a button up and sometimes a blazer. My brother is famous for wearing a t-shirt and a blazer, sometimes with a button up under the t-shirt. But then again he is also known for having bad fashion sense and great marketing sense.

  soo…. to disprove my own point, wear what you want. Think about it as little or as much as you want, and let them do the same.

• 11 Natalie // Jun 23, 2009 at 10:31 am

  If they are dark wash jeans and a sport coat or jacket over the T–you could pull it off. Also dress it up with shoes.

• 12 Stever // Jun 23, 2009 at 10:32 am

  TJ: I also have all those thoughts about “people will think I don’t care.” And upon reflection, I’m just not sure that’s true. And if it is true, I don’t know that it matters. I wear a suit, I decide who to talk to, I approach them, we talk. I wear jeans, I decide who to talk to, I approach them, we talk.

  Once we’re talking, my credibility has everything to do with who I am, not what I wear.

  I agree marketing is super-important. My current (extremely new — 3 weeks old) theory is: dressing like everyone else insures I won’t stand out. If I do something that sets me clearly apart, some people will be intrigued by that and others will avoid me. But since I seem to be the one who chooses my interactions anyway (see prior post), does that even matter?

• 13 T.J. Anderson // Jun 23, 2009 at 10:35 am

  stever: agreed, I was about to make a comment about cross dressing and still getting business, but what sort of business… the point is that if you know your audience, and they care, then you should care. But this will be a very good experiment to see if they even care. Or if they do what they think of t-shirt and jeans. Hopefully it’s the new black in business. I think the jeans are, but let me know how the t-shirt goes.

• 14 Stefan // Jun 23, 2009 at 10:47 am

  Whilst I would like to agree with Mr. Roth’s comments that a business event is not a casual event and one should dress appropriately, you should ultimately consider the following;

  1. You are going to a business presentation, and as such, you would need to consider the contextual nature of the presentation, along with your intended audience.
  2. What’s the desired message, mood or feelings that you’d want to portray. Your dress may send the wrong message, depending on what you’re trying to present. There should be some sort of alignment between the two.
  3. What’s your desired level of comfort? I’m personally not too fond of strict business wear, and sometimes like to mix things up so that I satisfy myself, and not stand out too much from the crowd to make others uncomfortable. For instance, I’ve attended business meetings in t-shirts and jeans. However, they were quite trendy and matched with by a jacket and formal footwear.

  I do not think that there is any reason to be fearful of what may ultimately be passing opinions, providing that you achieve your objectives whilst exuding clarity of thought and confidence.

• 15 BostonKayakGuy // Jun 23, 2009 at 10:54 am

  I tend to agree with Sheilia.

  You can wear jeans & VERY NICE t-shirt if you dress it up with nice shoes, or blazer…whatever.

  But this is BOSTON and you always have to dress in a manner appropriate to the culture.

  When I’m in Arizona I can dress very casually for a business event because it’s the accepted mode of dress. And I have to say I love not having to dress up.

  Where you are matters, as does who you’ll be with. If these are finance people et al then they’ll be in suits so that’s the culture at the event, but if it’s an event with lots of creative types then the dress will be more urban style.

  If you’re looking to make contacts, network etc. dress for the place, event, and other attendees.

  If you’re the star, filthy rich, or really hot then you can wear anything you like.

  Clean, pressed & whatever is a good mantra. But lose the sneakers…

• 16 Jeremie // Jun 23, 2009 at 11:43 am

  I couldn’t do it, but that is because dressing up for such an event makes me feel better about me and gives me more confidence. So, if you are comfortable with it I would go for it. You may even find that some people think you are more successful because you did go casual.

  I could probably do jeans, a collared shirt, and good shoes, but the tshirt would throw me off.

• 17 Richard // Jun 23, 2009 at 1:04 pm

  I would suggest you are scared because none of us likes to be ridiculed or outcast or even whispered about. As humans there is such a strong desire to “fit it.” Even among so called non-conformers such as punk or goth types, they ‘fit in’ to their group.

  Sometimes under or over dressing can be rude given the setting or purpose of the event.. like a wedding or funeral.

  However, I think so long as you are not doing it to be disrespectful, there is no reason not to dress as you wish. Also, it is a good exercise to overcome your fear of standing out from the crowd and risking the ridicule.

• 18 Theresa // Jun 23, 2009 at 2:15 pm

  The reason for not wearing a T-shirt is the same reason I choose not to display my name with a lower-cased first letter when I type in a public forum- I want to command respect. Wearing a T-shirt will equate me to Hank Hill or a college student. Because I am not a propane dealer and it’s been years since I’ve had to write a 7-page term paper, I choose alternatives. The alternatives can still be casual: polo shirt, untucked button down, etc. Make sure that you are wearing nice (not ragged) shoes and you will be fine.

  As far as the pants and the accessories, jeans may be fine depending on your audience and geographical location. For example, I live in Austin, TX, and if I went to a business presentation, (as long as I am not the presenter or in a room full of lawyers or accountants) it would be fine to where jeans; to make it look like I was a polished adult, I would wear heels, a coordinating bag, bring a nice notebook, and a sophisticated pen.

  You can skip the heels, Stever (although, there may be an audience for that, too!) and just do a good judgement call.

  BTW, Thanks for asking for input; I feel honored to school a person who usually schools me.

• 19 Stever // Jun 23, 2009 at 3:01 pm

  Theresa: I, too, like to have respect. My hypothesis is that currently, I’m not commanding any more respect wearing “suitable” clothes than I would be wearing casual clothes. Our current cultural myth is that business clothes and respect are linked. I want to check that out. Maybe it’s true. But maybe it isn’t.

  In 17 years of attending this group in a suit or slacks & jacket, I’ve never had anyone do business with me. So if people DO respect me (and I suspect they do), it’s not translating into anything tangible.

  Since this *is* about business, if it isn’t leading to bottom-line results for me, simply being respected in the abstract isn’t a very interesting outcome.

  My podcast started as a creative outlet where I could drop my business persona and be myself. It’s up to 70,000+ listeners every week. My business podcast, featuring me being businesslike, had made it to a whopping 500 regular listeners. That data point suggests that for me (maybe not for everyone), the traditional business persona isn’t the way to go.

• 20 Juanita // Jun 23, 2009 at 5:33 pm

  I wonder how you might make the jeans and t-shirt stand out in such a way that it complements your message, or even reinforces it?

  Thinking of clothing as a costume, rather than de rigeur “business uniform” for your public speaking gigs may open up possibilities for you.

• 21 Sarah // Jun 23, 2009 at 6:32 pm

  I never know when I’m going to meet someone who could have a great positive future impact on my career, so I dress nicely, for no other reason than it tells that person they are worth my getting dressed up a little for. Just like a neat, readable resume says “I care.” I don’t think there is any correlation between neat resumes and good workers – just neat resumes good manners, which is sometimes 90% of the equation when networking!

• 22 Chris Yeh // Jun 23, 2009 at 11:31 pm

  Rather than worrying about whether or not to dress up, you should develop a signature look and stick with it.

  Consistent branding will deliver the greatest long-term benefits.

• 23 Kim // Jun 24, 2009 at 2:08 pm

  I had to think about this. I tend to wear business clothes to business events because my mind works that way, in categories. But I’ve seen attendees in both business clothes and more casual clothes, and I’ve never assumed one was taking it more seriously than the other. In fact, I usually assumed it was based on the kind of work atmosphere they have or where they are going before/after.

  What REALLY affects my impression of someone, though, are things like posture, speaking tone, or something about the comfort level they seem to have with themselves. If dress affects that for you, then it matters. For example, I think wearing heels makes me walk slower and more gracefully, and stand up straighter. Nicer clothes prompt me to have better posture. That might not be true for everyone (and no, I’m not recommending heels for you).

• 24 J T // Oct 25, 2009 at 2:12 am

  Hmm… Smart jeans and t-shirt combined with confidence, good posture, smile and eye contact would beat average shirt and formal pants with shyness, darting eyes and unsure posture. That’s fundamental. Ultimately confidence and charisma get more weightage, and can override dress as a filter factor.

  Until you open your mouth, and then that matters as much or more.

  But, dress matters before you open your mouth, and as a supplement to the overall picture.

  That being said, to the extent that dress matters, the following apply:

  1. Depends on the people there: some people are OK with jeans and t-shirt, others aren’t. Question is do you do business with, or want business from or want to connect to, the latter category? If not, don’t matter. eg. If my current aim is to raise financing for a tech venture, my target is VC’s/angels or big tech cos. They are all used to dealing with startups from garages and tech (esp new tech) tends to be about being laid back. So then it don’t matter.

  Am I a banker trying to meet high net worth individuals to potentially be clients? Then got to go business casual at the least, formal may be good.

  2. Also depends on whether the event specified a dress code. If it did, going against is breaking a rule/convention. If not, its unsaid convention or your comfort.

  And even there, it matters whether “breaking the rule” is good/bad/neutral for your purpose.

  3. Depends on your industry and its conventions. Tech is often casual. In creative industries, dress is often casual and in fact unconventional. And so on. eg. In the movie biz, you can see someone in jeans, loud printed t-shirt with a corduroy blazer and cowboy boots and you’d still not blink if he tried to pitch a serious proposal to you.

  4. Context matters, and context can often be changed by providing it. That makes a difference. And consider that if you can provide it to the people that matter, the ones that don’t matter their opinion doesn’t matter either.

  eg. Where I come from, when someone passes away, after the last rites are done, there is a prayer meeting. Accepted convention is to wear white, full preferred, else at least upper garment. Failing that wear light muted shades and nothing flashy/dressy. But some time ago I attended one for an uncle, and someone came into the prayer meeting wearing jeans and bright green/electric blue shirt – essentially dressed to go to a club. Eyes were raised. Seems bad, eh?

  Till you get the new context that when he heard the news the previous night, he immediately headed to the airport and took the first flight out, which was a red-eye, and flew nine hours to get to the family and the prayer meeting in the morning straight form the airport. And that context was given/known to the people who mattered – my uncle’s son and daughter whom he came to give condolence and support to in this tough time. Seems quite different now, right?

  Its an extreme example but it illustrates the point perfectly where someone goes from jerk to caring in one switch of context/perspective. Less extreme examples can often be found in business, and to that extent it is important for people to realise that and not feel guilty if they are in such a situation. If they can give context, perhaps slip in a casual reference to it, it will make it acceptable. Feeling confident rather than guilty is more important to the impact you will make than the dress itself.

  Hope it helps.

  - JT

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