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Casual wear?

This was a question that I have been asking myself for years now and I thought, what better way to discuss this than with a blog post.

For the last number of years more and more men are opting for more casual suits for events that would traditionally have been associated with dressing in formal three piece suits.

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JP Morgan leading by example

• When researching for this article one of the first blog posts that struck me was an article by the Wall Street Journal titled ‘J.P. Morgan Says Employees Don’t Always Have to Wear Suits’, it was an interesting read which delved into the corporate culture and the rapid speed with which it is changing.

• The summary of this article was that JP Morgan ( a global investment bank) are adapting to the changing world of investment banking, in order to keep in touch with technology and client tastes they are saying goodbye to the days of hand tailored suits and opting for the rather ‘informal’ no tie look.

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Trading pinstripes for pullover sweaters

• Trading pinstripes for pullover sweaters—is relatively unusual for a Wall Street bank, in which suits are typically required for men and women due to longstanding industry customs and the etiquette involved in dealing with wealthy clients.

• Though most other big banks haven’t changed their dress codes, some have casual summer Fridays, and other financial-services firms are beginning to let employees know it is all right to dress down.

• Big banks could use relaxed dress codes to compete for talent with the likes of Google, Facebook Inc. and hedge-fund firms whose employees favour more comfortable garb.

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Some quirky tips

• It isn’t the first time banks have adjusted. During the late 1990s technology boom, some banks, including J.P. Morgan, also toned down their dress codes. But after the financial crisis, bankers started dressing more formally again.

• More broadly, about 50% of senior managers said employees wear less-formal clothing than they did five years ago, research from OfficeTeam, a unit of consultant Robert Half International Inc., showed, while 31% of office workers would prefer to be at a company with a business-casual dress code.

• The most common dress-code violation? Wearing overly casual clothing, followed by showing too much skin, according to the survey.

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Dressing for success leads to success

• There is the common misconception that ‘dressing for success leads to success’, for many jobs there is a certain level of truth to this but for 99% of jobs there is very little evidence that reinforces this idea. In a corporate environment it is unjustified to say that dress wear has any effect on productivity levels be it a positive or negative impact.

• Let’s look at some casual clothing, with particular focus on casual men’s suits.

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Casual outfit 1

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• This model is a good example of an appropriate outfit for a relatively informal, casual dress code workplace. His trousers are well-fitting and classic, without any quirky designs or surprises. Also, his simple suit jacket is comfortable and casual, but still looks appropriate and is suitable for a casual work environment.

• All black suits are always a perfect choice for all occasions, however for men looking to go a small bit more casual again, a casual button down shirt is always a great choice, and ties are not worn.

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Casual outfit 2

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• The guys at Jack threads really delved deep into the specifics behind casual suits

• The best tip from this piece was to break it up. A suit is two separate items of clothing. You pay for a pair of pants and a suit jacket that just happen to match, so you should be getting the most out of both. Wear your navy jacket with a pair of khaki chinos.

• Pair your grey suit pants with a chambray shirt and white canvas sneakers. Once you start looking at your suit as the combination of two individual’s entities, you'll notice a number of outfits you can easily pull together. (Just don't pair two suit separates that are similar in colour.)

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To sum it up

• The purpose of the casual suit is to make you look like a rake. There’s nothing rugged or refined about it so you’ll need to have the go-to-hell attitude that comes with a rakish appearance. Wear the suit together or separate the jacket and pants into separates.

• You should be getting some serious use out of a casual suit and can wear it for something as mundane as a trip to the grocery store on Saturday morning. By getting comfortable in a casual suit, you’re communicating that your standard of dress is higher and better defined than that of the men around you.

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