Archive for April, 2011

Today is Friday, and the office felt less formal in many sense. People are more laid-back, some even came few minutes later than the usual schedule, and then there are colorful combinations of shirt, skirt jeans and trousers. Polo shirt being the most popular, spotting wide array of color variation and patterns, jeans are almost an obligation, and snickers were spotted along the way.

Obviously, some are trying to present or rather impose their self perceived image of cool, laid back, relaxed and unique which expressed through combination of polo-shirt, jeans, and snickers. What they don’t realized though, there is nothing unique by wearing colorful shirt, if anyone else wearing that too, on Friday. At the end you ended up with being majority.

The question, how do you go through the dress down Friday without being trapped into mediocrity all over again ?

The answer lies to your self believes, that dress down Friday is not a window of opportunity to get slack and loose your sharpness. Here is how

1. Avoid sneakers, this is the big no-no in the dress down Friday. If you I have to pinpoint a single style component that have sudden impact if throwing you into a pack mediocrity this is the one. Sneakers, should only be use when you jog, walk, gym, run or any other sports. It may be ok to be use on your weekend walk in the park session, but it’s never a good choice when you wore it to the office
2. Avoid black shoes too. The odd is you wear black four out of five working days in a week. So why do you so intent to wear black with your jeans. Sure it still work but fine. But please think about the feeling of your other shoes, the brown wingtip or the grey suede monk-strap for example. Dress down Friday is the perfect opportunity to express your fashion preferences, so do try different colors or material. My personal take, plain shirt (in blue, white), jeans, and dark brown semi brogue wing-tip
3. Forget flannel, what are you ? Cowboy ?
4. No chain please. Linen jacket and chain could not be sighted at the same place together, and so is the khaki, loafer, or any other respectable fashion elements. Leave your chain on your gates, door or dog
5. Try to jacket. Really the easiest trick to upgrade your appearances and facade is to done jacket. And by definition of jacket here is a blazer or suit upper, with two buttons, nice fit and avoid any synthetic. Forget your winter jacket, parachute, mountain or leather jacket.
6. Finally be your self. I mean if you are 30 or 40 something, do not pampered your self with teenage gigs. Looking young and energize is not about what you wear, but very much about how you carry yourself, and being unique and differentiated, doesn’t mean you have to resort to the utter and casual slackness

You see, it’s not so hard really. What you need to do is try your best to relax, put up a serious self confidence, and remember that how you look very much depends on how you feel. Surely the subject of self confidence is an entirely different matters. But this would mean that you have to start as soon possible, and by as soon possible, I mean like…now.