
Ask HN: Who regulary wears a suit and tie to the the office? - artsyxxx
Can you share your experience and advice with us?<p>Follow-up: have you considered it but not sure how to start?
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cafard
I am the son of a geologist. My father spent his career working around crushed
or ground minerals, and the chemicals applied to them. The trousers he kept to
do his own coal sections would have been rejected by a fair proportion of the
homeless population. He was a wonderful man, but not much of a model for what
one wore to work.

I married the daughter of a manager, who in fact started giving input on my
wardrobe before we were married--I think before we were particularly serious.
Since we married, she has generally set out my work clothes. Monday through
Thursday, this includes a tie. September through May, it includes a jacket. On
an irregular basis it will be a suit.

At the job where we met, I was expected to wear jacket and tie to customer
sites. At the next--a government contractor--I was expected to wear a tie. At
this one, nobody cares. I have been here long enough that people would
certainly notice if I started to show up in tee shirt and jeans, or even
omitted the tie, but I don't think anybody cares one way or another. Most
employees here wear what I'd call business casual. In a building with about
250 persons, there might be five other men who wear ties, and a few more women
who wear something comparably dressy.

My advice: blend in. Don't give people an excuse to reject you.

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artsyxxx
It's cool of you to share bro. I would care we reserve judgement and the urge
to draw conclusions until we have collected a lot of evidence.

My father too has a PhD and dresses like mantracker. Blending in is a societal
concern we can address once we settle the personal ones. I'll share one reason
I wear a tie, it helps with my hypertension from stress and helps me contain
my anger at technical debt and things of that nature. I wear a jacket for all
the pockets. It's like cargo pants but with a different cultural perception.
We're after personal choices here.

Edit: my pockets have sub pockets into which I put desk keys and the like.

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schappim
Can you please dive deeper on how the tie helps with your hypertension?

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artsyxxx
Yes, most certainly. The tie in combination with a comfortable stiff collar
compresses the arteries in my neck and prevents me from letting anger and
stress rise up into my upper chest area and stay there. In combination with
breathing I can dissipate the anxiety to the rest of my body. As well, it does
not allow for loud outbursts. Fundamentally, suits and ties alter your posture
and behavior patterns to more gentle ones in my experience, while providing
needed support.

It's like a G suit allowing me to work in higher atmospheric pressure and
stress without damaging my soft internal organs.

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drakonka
I don't understand, could you elaborate on how compression around your neck
prevents anything from rising into your upper chest, considering the higher
positioning of the neck in relation to the chest?

~~~
artsyxxx
news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16918606 in this post they show how getting in
touch with your body helps understand your own emotions. The tie helps amplify
these signals by increasing sensitivity, as mentioned earlier!

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LurkinGrue
What advice are you looking for? Fashion? Where to buy? Fit? How to wear a
suit when coworkers don’t? My advice for fashion and fit is to find a picture
of something you like and go to a reputable men’s suit retailer. They will
help you ensure a proper fit and offer custom tailoring (which might not be
optional). Get the suit tailored and give feedback as to how you like your
clothes to fit. Take the shoes you want to wear with the suit. Allow the
tailor to measure you and help you with the fit for your body type. When you
pick up the suit after tailoring, try it on again to ensure it is how you
expected it. If not, have them make adjustments. A suit that is uncomfortable
stays in the closet. Pick out two different color shirts and two different
color ties. Again, the professional at the store you picked can help with
color, fit, and selection. This will make your suit more flexible. Be prepared
to spend some extra money on appropriate accessories as well (like a belt and
socks). Ask for a garment bag with your purchase to ensure you keep your new
purchase in good shape while hanging in your closet. Dry cleaning is a must
with a nice suit, but if your don’t expose it to harsh treatment (rain, wind,
dirt, etc) you should be good with several wears before cleaning is necessary.

~~~
artsyxxx
Hey! It sounds like you're familiar with the ins and outs. This is great
advice for anyone and personally I have selected Brooks Bros. as a one stop
shop for all my needs. (not paid for the endorsement)

Can you tell us about your journey in terms of workplace dress and how it has
served you?

On the subject of fit, I'd care to indicate 'fit' is a door that swings more
than one way. It's how the clothes fit on the person as well as how well they
fit into the situation. Clothing becomes an important measure of awareness on
a corporate or societal scale but the task of this thread is to examine
personal motivations and inspirations so to speak.

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CM30
I've done it a few times, usually because it provides a distinction between
working at home (on side projects) and working in the office (on work related
ones). Keeps me from getting sidetracked by random things and what not.

Sometimes helps you look smart on the journey too, if you're travelling
through a more businesslike area to get to work.

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artsyxxx
Yes! The separation of work-life is huge. I've thrown a bowtie into the mix
too for added levels. As well, the message the bowtie sends is impossible to
put into words. It shows you don't give a damn about what anyone thinks but
you still care immensely. Contrast with ripped jeans which would have to be
very distinctly tailored to give off the same vibe.

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seattle_spring
Do you mean people that wear a suit and tie in an environment where most
people are in jeans or shorts?

Please, please don't be that guy.

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quickthrower2
> Please, please don't be that guy.

What's wrong with it? Unless it's a dress code that you need to wear Jeans,
you should be able to wear something smarter without fear.

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kojeovo
> smarter

A fedora, right?

~~~
artsyxxx
We used to wear a pink hat during production deploys. There is definitely a
semaphore phenomenon that comes with ties and pocket squares.

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Kevin_S
I am required, but I am not technical. Financial consultant for a government
client.

If you have to, I suggest getting the best pants you can afford. I wear dress
pants that are slim fit but have some stretch to them, making them infinitely
more comfortable.

It sucks horribly. I am very into fashion and dressing up and buy nice
clothes, but holy shit ties on a daily basis are the worst thing ever. And I
don't even get to wear fun formal wear - I am stuck in conservative colors and
such.

I am going back to school this Fall and am looking forward to dressing more
casually day-to-day.

~~~
artsyxxx
Totally understand your sentiment. If I may ask, when you look at men like Don
Draper in a suit and tie or politicians etc. do you surmise they too are
uncomfortable? In other words do you believe it's impossible to be comfortable
in a suit and tie? In my case, like a swaddled baby I'm happy as a clam in
strawberry jam. Ironically, tightening the tie makes me more comfortable.

I agree on getting the best you can afford. I'd estimate paying about 2-4% of
pre-tax income yearly and buying Brooks Brothers suits exclusively. There are
added benefits to $1000+ suits. And shirt collars matter. Stiffer collars at
your exact neck size distribute the pressure of the tie and make it super
comfortable.

At this point my suit is as indenspensible and trusty as my top-of-the line
retina MacBook Pro. I've understood why it's called an investment.

Edit: the same rule applies to shoes and of course I'm talking sticker price,
not register price. There are seasonal sales.

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JoeAltmaier
I work from a home office, so I rarely wear anything.

BUT when I leave the house, its in full kit. Because I like to. Its nice to
look good.

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artsyxxx
It's nice to feel good. Daps to that. What would full kit be in your case, if
we may ask? Sounds like we're somewhere in the UK?

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JoeAltmaier
Oops no, I'm in Iowa, USA and live in the boonies. I go into town for lunch
most days, in a long-sleeved dress shirt, suit pants, a tie (but I wear a
bolo), a jacket and decent shoes. Not terribly fancy but not 'casual' at all.

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artsyxxx
Bolo for the #yolo! I'm gonna have to pick one up next time in Texas or
Nevada, or Iowa! I'd like one with an Egyptian looking scarab beetle or maybe
a sort of butterfly or bird motif?

[https://www.birchbox.com/guide/article/how-to-wear-bolo-
tie](https://www.birchbox.com/guide/article/how-to-wear-bolo-tie)

Wicked to know we're representing on all levels. I'd best start with cowboy
boots though..

I had this idea of wearing a camelhair jacket; the bolo would a absolutely
kill it.

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JoeAltmaier
I have to admit - my ties are not all southwest/native in design. I make them
myself and use all sorts of stones, blown glass, fossils and even wood
emblems. Of course I make silver-and-turquois (the most common request I get!)
too. The turquoise I get these days is all synthetic; the American deposits of
real turquoise are long run out.

I found a cloisonné fish in a shop once, and made a tie for my niece who's
getting a PhD in fisheries. She loved it!

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gormz
I want to find an office that doesn't care when I come in with jeans and a
cut-off. I'm a programmer, everyone knows we're not client facing in any
clothes.

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artsyxxx
Let's see what we can learn from our colleagues who diverge from the hoi
polloi.

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relaunched
Vint Cerf!

~~~
artsyxxx
Brrruh! I could kiss you!

