AD-vice - making a strong first impression as a young business professional
As promised, I'm back with the first edition of my fashion advice column on Steemit. I promise you'll experience the full gamut of emotions as my charm, self-deprecation, wit and raw sentiment cause you to smile, laugh, cringe and cry in less than 500 words!
*Anonymous asks: I'm a second year law student, just getting into dressing better but with a need to build a career-friendly wardrobe for next summer. Since you've got a legal background I just wanted to ask, exactly what level of #menswear antics can be pulled off in a real law firm? I get that law firms are not Pitti Uomo, and a bit more conservatism is to be expected, but are unstructured blazers and double monks viable, or is the well-dressed lawyer's only recourse to develop a Timberlake-level suit-and-tie game?
My guy,
Law firms, and America generally, have come a long way in the last five years. I mean, most people still look like garbage, but at least its not the smoldering kind you'd find in the alley of a 1980s flick about New York.
Let's start with this: you're leaps and bounds ahead of your peers given the simple fact that you are self-aware enough to ask this question. They'll probably show up on day one in an outfit that came out of a box from a website run by some unfashionable people in the midwest. Case in point: no matter what you wear, you'll look better than your peers.
The easiest way to tackle this question is to stress the fundamentals: navy blazer, charcoal slacks, a ton of white and blue shirts and a pair of chestnut penny loafers or simple brogues. Just get that down. Let that be your fail safe in the event you think that your peers find it odd that you have more interest than they do in what you wear every day.
Wear some variation of that for the first few weeks.
Then let the fun begin.
Start injecting personality and panache slowly. High waisted trousers here, an interesting patterned jacket there. Before you know it, you'll be wearing exactly what you want to wear and no one will even noticed things have changed. Soon enough, they'll break up with their girlfriends and stop receiving boxes in the mail because they'll turn to you for advice about clothing.
Good luck out there; give 'em hell.
Best,
NTB