The tech world is well known for being very casual with a "wear what you like" dress code.
However, when you get promoted in a tech job, though you can continue to wear what you want, I find that many men actually want to smarten up a bit - to give them authority and mark the change in their role. It would look odd though if they suddenly turned up to work all suited and booted - so it's smaller, more subtle changes that are needed.
If you've recently been promoted in your tech job (or any job that has a very casual dress code for that matter), here are my ten tips on what to wear to smarten up your wardrobe without looking like you don't belong in the office anymore! Many of these suggestions are things I've bought with clients whilst on personal shopping trips that had this brief.
I've been thinking about dark brown brogues and Derbies recently whilst with clients, as the perfect thing to go with summer suits.
I find that suede looks more summery than leather, and the dark brown goes better with navy than tan which can be too light and too much of a contrast with dark trousers. If you buy them to go with a suit, they can also been worn easily with jeans or chinos in varying shades. Here's some of the ones I've chosen with different clients for various outfits & occasions:
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When was the last time you updated your swimwear? If you usually go for plain fabrics, then why not try some pattern for your next pair of shorts?
It's not like you have to worry too much about what to wear them with as you'll be wearing them on their own or you could easily put all of the following with a plain neutral t-shirt, polo shirt or linen shirt. The only thing to take into consideration then, is that it goes with your skin tone.
This is a question I was asked last week on a personal shopping trip and one that I frequently get asked by clients. So in an attempt to make it easier for you, here I'm going to dissect it and go through some points to take into consideration when deciding to tuck or untuck.
Most of the time, I'm making subtle changing to client's wardrobes. It's not necessarily about having the big "ta-da....male makeover moment" but about introducing you to small changes that make a difference. This could be by using more colour, pattern, different shapes or a better fit.
Here I've picked out 3 shirts with slightly different collar styles that you may not have tried before, but which may add some variety to your wardrobe and not just feel like you've bought yet another generic pale blue or white shirt.
Is this changeable weather confusing you no end as to what to wear? Yep, me too. The answer though, is layering and I find a lot of the guys I take on shopping trips, like the ease of a cardigan so they can whip it on and off as the sun goes in, out and shakes it all about.
Though I frequently buy navy and grey with clients, I thought I'd step away from the defaults for a minute and take a look at some at the lighter brown end of the spectrum. They lend themselves particularly well to cotton and linen textures which is what I've chosen here, and it also means they'll be warm as an extra layer but still breathable and won't look too wintery either
As fashion turns towards the 70s for inspiration, there's been a lot more 'brown in town' and particularly this rich tobacco shade. It works perfectly when crossed with a "Talented Mr Ripley" style of higher waist trousers, cool linens and knitted polo shirts.
It also complements the pale blue and white that fills most men's summer wardrobes, making a welcome contrast without being too 'out there'. And of course, it looks excellent worn with other earthy tones of khaki, beige and cream, which will look particularly good on you if your colouring is a little softer (ie: you don't have much contrast between your hair, eye and skin colour.
Smarter than a cardigan, more relaxed than a structured blazer, the casual unstructured blazer is a great item to have in your wardrobe for the summer season.
Here, I dissect three options that I've seen whilst out and about, and highlight why they might work for you dependent on body shape and lifestyle:
When I go to clients houses to do a wardrobe edit I'll often find a distinct lack of shoes. They will probably have some smart black Oxfords to wear with suits and some sport trainers and perhaps some hiking boots, but quite regularly I'll find there's not a lot in between, so they struggle putting together a smart casual look.
So I often find myself looking for this style when we go on a personal shopping trip. As well as buying smart leather trainers (you can see the sort of style I mean here though they don't have to be white), we also look for ones that can be a little more formal and be worn for work and / or going out.
There's a definite 1970s influence to the things in the shops at the moment and perhaps that's why there are lots of printed shirts around.
When clients ask me to take them shopping, we might stock up on some basics but they're often looking for something slightly different from what they would normally choose and different colours and prints are a good way to do that. So I thought I'd share with you some of the printed shirts that I've bought with various clients over the past couple of weeks and how we styled them:
A few clients recently have asked me to take them shopping for their holiday wardrobes, so I've been seeking out some lightweight things for them, which I share with you here. As you can see it's mainly bottom halves as shirts and t-shirts are lighter anyway. I hope this is useful for you and points you in the right direction if you're off on holiday, and if you'd like some help, please do get in touch.
