What Does Styleforum do for a living? How does this affect the way you dress?

[Needsmoreshoes]

We spend so much time here sharing opinions on the ways we like to dress and the brands we love but it would be nice to get a handle on what lies behind the advice and WAYWT pictures.

So why not share with us what you do for a living - be it a job, your hobbies or perhaps even the the way you were brought up - and tell us how this has affected the way you choose your clothing and why you find that these choices fit well with you as a person.

 

[dufferin1]

Well, I'm one of the younger members at 18 and am studying Aviation Management in Ontario but come from New Brunswick. My entire family is German/European so I was always brought up to be well dressed. My parents never really spent a lot of money on me but I always liked quality clothes as I went to a prep school having to wear a suit every day. As I grow older I come to realize that money shouldn't be spent on what brands people know but rather on quality garments that will last. In the aviation industry, its very corporate and I've come to get used to that as I was well prepared for it coming to the airport I work at for the summer. Quality over quantity is what I've learned. I rather spend $350 dollars on a pair of oxfords then purchase 4 pairs from some shoe warehouse that won't last me. People here in Canada at least (many) think its crazy spending 250$ on a dress shirt, yet they all go to Moore's and buy cheap stuff that falls apart after 4 months.

I recently lost 70 pounds aswell which makes me feel much better about myself. I no longer wear a 44R suit and came down to a 38R. Much easier walking into a store and fitting into a small or medium sweater instead of XL. I guess dressing well promotes inner confidence, plus it markets yourself as someone who takes themselves seriously.

 

[DrAvant]

I am a surgery resident and I'm stuck wearing scrubs most days, unfortunately. On days that I dress professionally it is key that I look clean cut but not too stiff...establishing rapid patient rapport is crucial in the busy clinic or ER. I tend to eschew the white coat and just roll up my sleeves while taking out stitches (or putting them in, for that matter). I probably wear a bow more often than most people because it's just so much easier to deal with. Though I do like the military tuck of the tie and will sometimes wear it like for a while after a minor ER procedure. Sort of a little medical sprezzatura.

I also dread seeing the shoes of some of my colleagues. They tend to think that these horrible slip-on faux dress shoes are more comfortable, but I doubt many of them have tried a high quality pair of "real" shoes. I feel better after a day in my AE's than in my tennis shoes. And don't get me started on Danskos.

There are very few physicians left (who I see regularly) who still appreciate and practice dressing nicely for the patients and the Drs. Churchwell have been a great inspiration.

 

[atila]

I've been managing my family's high-end jewelry store for the past couple years. As a result, I wear a suit 6 days a week...

 

[EvilTuna7]

I'm an audio mixer at a post production facility. I could wear a wife beater and mesh shorts to work if I wanted, but I try to keep it a little nicer then that. Usually end up with jeans and a button down or polo. I actually bought my first nice suit yesterday (thread coming soon!), so maybe I'll try to get them to institute formal fridays so I get a chance to wear it.

 

[RogerC]

I'm an early career academic in the humanities/social sciences, in the UK. This gives me the liberty to enjoy my tweed jackets and bow ties. I wear a jacket and tie whenever I'm teaching or have meetings, and suits (albeit often informal ones) for conferences.

 

[Frankie22]

I am a surgery resident and I'm stuck wearing scrubs most days, unfortunately. On days that I dress professionally it is key that I look clean cut but not too stiff...establishing rapid patient rapport is crucial in the busy clinic or ER. I tend to eschew the white coat and just roll up my sleeves while taking out stitches (or putting them in, for that matter). I probably wear a bow more often than most people because it's just so much easier to deal with. Though I do like the military tuck of the tie and will sometimes wear it like for a while after a minor ER procedure. Sort of a little medical sprezzatura.

I also dread seeing the shoes of some of my colleagues. They tend to think that these horrible slip-on faux dress shoes are more comfortable, but I doubt many of them have tried a high quality pair of "real" shoes. I feel better after a day in my AE's than in my tennis shoes. And don't get me started on Danskos.

There are very few physicians left (who I see regularly) who still appreciate and practice dressing nicely for the patients and the Drs. Churchwell have been a great inspiration.

My best bud just got paired for ortho spine @ Emory. You all are an interesting breed.

 

[Frankie22]

VP of Sales for a consumer goods company.
We are young and growing, no particular dress code, infact, we are kind of edgy in our dress (depending on the office). One out west, one in NYC.

 

[Needsmoreshoes]

Realised I hadn't added to this yet:

I'm pretty young as a first year medical student. Unlike in the US (as with DrAvant above - whomentions he spends a lot of time in scrubs although you are in surgery) Doctors in the UK wear trousers and shirts so I've got less of an interest in suits and ties since my future will be predominantly spent sans tie. I tend to think that shoes are the main area for doctors - given their current dress - to inject some personality so I'm pretty into my Edward Greens and my Gaziano Girlings - can't wait to purchase my first pair.

Most of my friends tend to wear, as every young person in the UK does, Hollister and AF so I try to move away from that without being that guy who's overly formally dressed. Due to this I love my brogues so wear a lot of them. Also I'm tall and very, very thin so the AF/Hollister fit looks terribly unflattering on me.

Got some informative responses so far and I'd like to see more. Maybe it's just me but this forum seems really disembodied at times even though you become so familiar with certain names so it's interesting to hear some background.

 

[RDiaz]

I'm just an IT helpdesk technician. I'm not required to wear ties, jackets or whatever, but our customer is full of people in suits and thus I don't look out of place wearing what I like.

 

[kasakka]

Web developer. No dress code, I just like wearing a suit from time to time. Mostly it's either leather jackets or a sportscoat.

 

[DrAvant]

My best bud just got paired for ortho spine @ Emory. You all are an interesting breed.

Oh jeez, Ortho...haha. I start with Ortho for my first month of residency in July. I love powertools and hammers just as much as the other guy, but a month is enough

I'm pretty young as a first year medical student. Unlike in the US (as with DrAvant above - whomentions he spends a lot of time in scrubs although you are in surgery) Doctors in the UK wear trousers and shirts so I've got less of an interest in suits and ties since my future will be predominantly spent sans tie. I tend to think that shoes are the main area for doctors - given their current dress - to inject some personality so I'm pretty into my Edward Greens and my Gaziano Girlings - can't wait to purchase my first pair.

I went to med school at a school with a really old school surgery program and the surgeons wore suits and ties far more often than the internists. The school of thought was that if you weren't in the OR you had to be dressed up. There was a legend going around that the Chief of Surgery ran down a resident in a grocery store parking lot b/c he was still in his scrubs. I've heard that some hospitals in the UK have short sleeved white coats and have banned ties. Any truth to that?

With as much time as you'll be spending on your feet, you'll really appreciate a nice pair of shoes. And the nurses will notice that you've stepped it up from the Danskos.

 

[Gauss17]

Some hospitals have been moving away from ties because a study was done culturing many physicians ties and found a great deal of bacteria on them. This is probably not surprising to most as ties are seldom cleaned, where as scrubs, coats, and shirts are all regularly laundered. My father for example, is a family practice physician and stopped wearing ties some time ago because of the study. I couldn't tell you about the short sleeved white coats, but it seems they are still in full force here in the US.

 

[Frankie22]

Oh jeez, Ortho...haha. I start with Ortho for my first month of residency in July. I love powertools and hammers just as much as the other guy, but a month is enough

I went to med school at a school with a really old school surgery program and the surgeons wore suits and ties far more often than the internists. The school of thought was that if you weren't in the OR you had to be dressed up. There was a legend going around that the Chief of Surgery ran down a resident in a grocery store parking lot b/c he was still in his scrubs. I've heard that some hospitals in the UK have short sleeved white coats and have banned ties. Any truth to that?

With as much time as you'll be spending on your feet, you'll really appreciate a nice pair of shoes. And the nurses will notice that you've stepped it up from the Danskos.

Yeah, all my buddies that are surgeons love to show me photos of themselves holding powertools among other stomach turning things.
Another good friend of mine finished up his fellowship at MGH and is not practicing out in the Midwest: Nuero- spine. It's always great to tell women what you do AFTER the brain surgeon.

 

[bellyhungry]

I am responsible for contract and agreement negotiations with business partners in the IT industry.

I can dress anywhere from blazer and jeans to suit and tie.