The Argument Against Business Casual
By continentalman on Sep 26, 2006 in Dretthin for Succeth
While there are some good dressers among you in the business casual world, most of you are not.
In fact, since you business casual folk never wear suits, you only buy cheap suits, like Brooks Brothers. And I don’t care if BB was JFK’s tailor. They suck. Their collars are just really bad and Guido looking.
Some of this is admittedly not your fault. Business casual pants are horrendous. They look like potato bags (and I mean bags, not sacks, as there is a difference.) Are there nice business casual pants out there? I really couldn’t tell you. Also, how can you live with yourself, wearing a color and pant called “khaki”, a word originating from a Persian word meaning “of dirt”?
You business casual people get your shirts from the drycleaners, like most of us. But you suffer. You don’t have a suit jacket enclosing the shirt, or a necktie conforming the collar around your rotund and fatty neck. Because of this, your shirts remain with their folds intact perched on your bulging neck and shoulders, like a sharp set of shoulderpads. This makes you look like a crispy bunch of drones.
And for the semi good dressers, business casual gives the extravagant ones among you an excuse to wear shirts that they otherwise would not wear with a suit, i.e. criss-crossed patterns including the color pink, which honestly no one should wear unless — must I repeat myself — gay and/or British.
Think of it. If we let business casual become acceptable around the world, you analysts will soon be showing up in your sweat pants.
Most importantly: only Americans do business casual. This alone should make you feel schlocky. It makes Americans look like a nation of cheaper people, which they are, but even more so when you compare them to their sleek European counterparts. (In fact, I think of it as a competitive advantage for the European juniors out there.)
Disagree? Well, I’m sorry, I’m willing to spend a buck to look nice.
I propose we put it to the women: ladies, would you rather have dinner with a zit-faced, pizza-eating burger chomper (dressed in business casual), or me?
On Sep 27, 2006, The Corner said:
Wow, a little overreaching there. You wear Canali while writing for your blog, tough guy? only messing…I agree business casual should go. But easy on the Double-B. Very classy shop indeed.
On Sep 27, 2006, JM said:
Must Agree with the BB comment, not a fan. If your broke go buy an Armani from Century 21 for the same price as those style-less BB suits. You don’t have to spend a fortune to look like a million.
On Sep 27, 2006, Hey said:
The best deal in suits is to find a good tailor that can get a deal from a manufacturer and then customize it for you. You can get great materials and construction for less cost than a rack or made to measure suit from BB or a department store.
Avoid at all costs high end rack and made to measure suits. You pay for the name without getting any serious improvement in quality (still macine made, lots of fusing, etc). And stay away from Armani unless you’re built like an out of shape 50 year old. Their cut is not flattering on athletic/fit/decent shape bodies.
For not too much money, and about the same cost as a Zegna made to measure, you can get a bespoke suit. Best fabrics, perfect fit, and all sorts of little details just for you. Nearly every major suitmaker in Italy, Britain, and France visits NYC, so you don’t even have to worry about travelling to London to get it made.
Check out http://www.englishcut.com for an interesting blogging tailor.
On Sep 28, 2006, bsa said:
I never wear any item of clothing made by a individual or collective entity whose name ends in a vowel. Even if you deem BB to be style-less and/or gauche, it passes my simple test. . .
On Sep 28, 2006, Stewart Pitt said:
Hey JM.
Instead of worrying so much about your clothes, why don’t you take some time to work on your soft skills– basic written communication, for example. Start with the difference between “your” and you’re”.
On Sep 28, 2006, Dude said:
Wow, this was definitely not one of BBall’s better posts. Chill out bud, too much meth is making you angry.
Business casual isn’t the greatest thing ever, but who gives a fuck? Its sad that you are really that offended.
On Sep 28, 2006, BankersBall said:
Meth is for trailer trash.
On Sep 29, 2006, Arbiter360 said:
Continentalman’s argument against Biz-caszh is accurate, if not complete. Continentalman only comes at the Biz-caszh phenomenon from the aesthetic angle, with which I wholeheartedly agree, but there are practical consequences as well.
C-man says,
“Think of it. If we let business casual become acceptable around the world, you analysts will soon be showing up in your sweat pants.”
Not to mention (ugh) flip-flops. (Yes, in L.A. the Biz-caszh plebes actually show up to the office in flip-flops)
This is getting closer to another piece of the argument, which is that “Business-Casual” is not really about “efficiency” and “comfort” around the office, it’s about LAZINESS.
A Biz-caszh environment engenders an attitude of laziness, which in turn, breeds sloppiness. Not only in appearance but also a SLOPPINESS IN ATTITUDE AND SLOPPINESS IN THINKING which affects the culture of the office and the bottom line.
I abhor the biz-caszh as much as the aggressive ostentatiousness of the Hollywood Art-fag.
At least a guy in a crisp suit LOOKS smart. A guy in flip-flops just looks like a slob. Even if he’s the smartest genius who ever lived, when the client sees him in the office, he’s going to see a slob. Nothing more.
Someone who is nonchalant to the point of apathy about himself is CERTAINLY NOT going to be someone I trust with millions of dollars worth of business.
On Sep 29, 2006, bern said:
I disagree…every top bulge bracket firm is business casual at the analyst level. Why? Because when you’re putting in 80-120 hrs a week productivity, focus and COMFORT matters a hell of alot more than appearing sharp. Lets be honest how many analysts have client contact on a daily basis?
Its nice to see you want to show everyone in production and the caf how hot of a dresser you are but you can do that by just adding s nice set of sport coats to your b-casual attire.
Suits are great but not essential unless in a client-facing situation…
On Sep 29, 2006, continentalman said:
You’ll never get to “a client facing situation” wearing business casual every day. Why would a banker ever think of letting his analyst leave his bullpen if all he cares about is being comfortable at his computer?
On Sep 29, 2006, The Corner said:
So many good thoughts here. People tend to act the way they dress (although wearing oversized shirts and cheap ties with dinky knots to high school homecoming freshman year didn’t stop any of us from dry-hump grindin our dates). Regardless, I am a young guy in a unique job where I fortunately have a lot of access to higher ups both within my firm and outside. And although frequently given the option to “dress down” I think that the older more expierienced professionals take me more seriously when I am dressed to the 9’s.
On Sep 30, 2006, Arbiter360 said:
Bravo C-man and The Corner. There is a reason why “Dress for Success” is a cliche-truism. Because it’s true.
On Mar 24, 2007, dirtchutewarrior said:
pure idiocy. i work at a hedge fund and wear isaia pants from bergdorff , custom shirts from ascot cheng, and my favorite Prada loafers among other biz caz combos. biz caz is what you make of it and i do enjoy rockin’ the jeans when i feel like it and when i run my own shop i can’t wait to rock out the flip flops on a daily basis.
you douche bankers haven’t figured out that it’s performance that counts. wearing a suit doesn’t make you do good deals, being smart and working hard does that for you but your incessant adherence to your uniforms renders you unable to take actual, real risk so you run around dressed up like one another espousing your “do the deal, do the deal, do the deal” nonsense bc you know nothing else other than herd behavior and herd psychologically. NOW GO GET THOSE PITCH BOOKS DONE!!!!
i want you all to look crisp and sharply dressed when you to come kiss my ass trying to sell me some crappy deal.
On Sep 6, 2008, Europe is largely business casual, sorry said:
Even in the year 2000, the suit was in peril in Europe.