Things not to do/wear if you don't want to look like a schlub in the office - my top 3

ohia wrote:

agreed w OP, ill add some:

1. get a nice laptop bag. dont carry a backpack or one of those dumb vinyl "targus" or whatever laptop bags. if you want to lvl up, get a nice leather piece

2. posture. carry yourself like an adult, situp in your chair, dont slouch. i am often guilty of this.

3. body language. engage people by looking them in the eye, at least every so often during a convo. use their name during convo. people love hearing their name.

4. maintain proper frame. modulate your voice properly, dont get too high or too low. don't let someone else's tones or inflections knock you off your game or influence you. carry your own internal "metronome"

Servile underlings sit up straight and have good posture. Alphas relax and take up space while the underlings sit up straight and grovel.

ohia wrote:

agreed w OP, ill add some:

1. get a nice laptop bag. dont carry a backpack or one of those dumb vinyl "targus" or whatever laptop bags. if you want to lvl up, get a nice leather piece

2. posture. carry yourself like an adult, situp in your chair, dont slouch. i am often guilty of this.

3. body language. engage people by looking them in the eye, at least every so often during a convo. use their name during convo. people love hearing their name.

4. maintain proper frame. modulate your voice properly, dont get too high or too low. don't let someone else's tones or inflections knock you off your game or influence you. carry your own internal "metronome"

You sound like some cheesy salesperson. I’ll keep you waiting in the lobby. You sit there until I’m ready.

"This guy has a watch, he's so grownup and has his stuff together" - No one ever, except maybe a-holes that think it matters.

The only watch I wear is my GPS watch from running and I make 6 figures, seems wearing a watch doesn't matter at all. I also rarely tuck in my shirt because I feel like an old person. When I work I'm not trying to be fancy, I'm trying to do a good job and that's easier when I feel comfortable and don't have a wad of shirt stuffed around my mid section.

For the shoes, I do appreciate a nice pair of shoes, but I also like nice fresh running shoes. But I don't care if someone else doesn't care about getting a nice pair of shoes.

1. Women who wear too much make-up , then no make-up on Fridays . We don't need to know why you wear too much make-up on Fridays .

2. Women who walk around the office in socks

3. Short women who alway wear 6' high heels .

4. Women who wear bright nail polish and eat with there mouths open , and eat snacks while walking down the hallway

Women Fixer Consultant wrote:

1. Women who wear too much make-up , then no make-up on Fridays . We don't need to know why you wear too much make-up on Fridays .

2. Women who walk around the office in socks

3. Short women who alway wear 6' high heels .

4. Women who wear bright nail polish and eat with there mouths open , and eat snacks while walking down the hallway

Women are incompetent. In the workplace.

Work status today:

• Shirt untucked – check

• Rubber soled shoes – check

• Non-mechanical watch (Fitbit Ionic) - check

• Eating lunch at my desk – check

A couple more additions.

Work status today:

• Shirt untucked – check

• Rubber soled shoes – check

• Non-mechanical watch (Fitbit Ionic) - check

• Eating lunch at my desk – check

• Leaning back in my chair – check

• Backpack laptop bag - check

So, Mark, how are you doing wrote:

ohia wrote:

agreed w OP, ill add some:

1. get a nice laptop bag. dont carry a backpack or one of those dumb vinyl "targus" or whatever laptop bags. if you want to lvl up, get a nice leather piece

2. posture. carry yourself like an adult, situp in your chair, dont slouch. i am often guilty of this.

3. body language. engage people by looking them in the eye, at least every so often during a convo. use their name during convo. people love hearing their name.

4. maintain proper frame. modulate your voice properly, dont get too high or too low. don't let someone else's tones or inflections knock you off your game or influence you. carry your own internal "metronome"

You sound like some cheesy salesperson. I’ll keep you waiting in the lobby. You sit there until I’m ready.

More accurately, he sounds like some cheesy salesperson who just back from some cheesy salesperson training seminar.

sales is for peasants - but i did go to the school of alpha.

You clearly didn't learn anything there.

Leaning back in your chair is ergonomically correct.

So, Mark, how are you doing wrote:

ohia wrote:

agreed w OP, ill add some:

1. get a nice laptop bag. dont carry a backpack or one of those dumb vinyl "targus" or whatever laptop bags. if you want to lvl up, get a nice leather piece

2. posture. carry yourself like an adult, situp in your chair, dont slouch. i am often guilty of this.

3. body language. engage people by looking them in the eye, at least every so often during a convo. use their name during convo. people love hearing their name.

4. maintain proper frame. modulate your voice properly, dont get too high or too low. don't let someone else's tones or inflections knock you off your game or influence you. carry your own internal "metronome"

You sound like some cheesy salesperson. I’ll keep you waiting in the lobby. You sit there until I’m ready.

This thread and lots of the grampa-tier "advice" is blatant bait but #4 works wonders. If you stay calm while someone else is angry with you its possible to convince them that they're out of line even if you caused a total f*ckup.

This thread has aids

I tend to dress in “business attire” to a greater extent than most of my colleagues, but I wouldn’t judge someone else for their clothing choices unless they were wearing something really unprofessional. I just wear the clothes I like, which tend to fall more in the slacks and sport coat camp than the jeans and golf shirt camp. If someone else prefers the latter, my thoughts on this will be, well, nothing...I really don’t care.

That said, I think people who find dress clothes to be stuffy and uncomfortable have probably never owned quality, well-fitting dress clothes. If you swore off all dress clothes because you hated the hand-me-downs your mom put on you for church when you were a kid, I’d encourage you to give them another chance as an adult. If you get a good suit made from quality material and have alterations done by a decent tailor, the thing will likely be one of the most comfortable items in your closet.

All that said, if you work in a setting where it is remotely acceptable to wear scrubs, always wear scrubs.

Wow thanks for your contribution Elvin. We are all better people because of it

The only thing that matters (in my opinion) is how you carry yourself. If you can look people in the eye and hold a conversation, then I don't really care how you dress or how you carry your laptop around.

I wear an apple watch, running shoes, jeans, button down hiking shirts (untucked) and carry a targus laptop bag...but I have 20 years in with this company, 6 weeks vacation, 401k and a pension, bonus, and 140k salary, and no interest in being a manager just to make more money.

6) When you become a fully grown man use your full name, not "Tommy" ( or "Teddy" or "Billy").

Ivanka wrote:

Guess when you've been handed everything in life from your rich daddy, it doesn't matter if you've never been able to learn how to count to three.

Never thought I'd write this, but I'm with Ivanka. I'm glad I don't work in a place where the OP's materialistic snobbery reigns.

Very happy that I'm lucky enough to work from home. I don't currently own a suit, dress-shirt, and any trousers more formal than jeans.

I will confirm, however, that my desire not to conform to corporate dress norms definitely put a ceiling on my progress while in a corporate environment.