I recently read this post by Mark Cuban and wanted to add my own thoughts to it.
He’s right. There really is no reason to wear suits anymore. A lot of people will tell you that when you meet with your customers, you should wear suits, so that you will show them how professional you are. And that’s crap. Most customers don’t care what you wear, as long as you know what you are talking about. Sure, looking professional will lend you some credibility. However, you’ll gain more credibility by giving a well prepared, thought out, insightful, factual presentation. Yet, for some reason, people still feel the need to wear suits or demand that subordinates wear suits to “be professional”. It’s crap.
Why am I blogging about this, you ask?? Because I had to wear a suit to a vendor fair, where all my customers were in business casual attire. So I had to wear the monkey suit and spend 3 hours being uncomfortable. And when I am uncomfortable, it tends to effect my presentations. I like to be relaxed when talking to customers, so that my conversations can flow more naturally. Without the suit, that doesn’t happen.
Suits blow.
February 5th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
I disagree. I feel really good in a suit and I think it makes me look better. I feel more professional and I will argue, vociferously, that a tailored suit will look better on anyone than will something that is a size M, L, or XL, which was designed to fit 1,001 body types in a general range.
Do I have a problem with confidence? Not likely. But I do feel that I look better with a suit. It helps my self-image when I look in the mirror and see a handsome bloke in a nicely-tailored suit looking back. As I’ve had heart surgery and back surgery and am certainly lacking in the exercise department (I’m very much out of shape), wearing a suit makes me look good. Damn good, I would say.
And as such, I have more confidence. And with more confidence, I work better.
It doesn’t matter what people say is important — being comfortable or knowing your facts and figures. Looks matter. If looks didn’t matter we wouldn’t have magazines like FHM and GQ. It’s just as important for men to look nice as for women. No, it’s not “right,” but that’s the way life is. So go ahead and dislike wearing a suit. That’s fine.
But it does look good on you, Beezer.