I’ve never been known as a fashion plate. In fact, I’ll admit I’ve been challenged in the clothes area over my professional career. However, I am going to write about clothing today because I got on a rant about something with a buddy yesterday and I thought it was good food for thought here on the screed.
One of my pet peeves is the idiots who attend sporting events as if they were playing. You know the ones – you see them at most golf tournaments wearing golf shoes as they walk the course or walking around a tennis tournament in full whites and sneakers. I’m told there are folks showing up at the Olympic dressage events wearing riding boots. What are these folks thinking? Someone twists an ankle and you’re in as a competitor? I’ve been to hundreds of sporting events and yet I don’t think I’ve ever seen this sort of behavior at a football game (sitting in the stands in full pads would probably get you thrown out) or a hockey game (hard to walk the steps in skates).
Putting aside that it’s kind of douchy (that’s really about the most appropriate term ), I suppose that what they’re doing is trying to make a statement that “hey, I’m a golfer/tennis player/rider too and I belong here.” The reality is that it states exactly the opposite.
An office environment is different. Most places have some sort of dress code, written or unwritten, and one is best served by adhering to it. You want to dress like the players, so to speak. Over the years I’ve gone from wearing three-piece suits every day to wearing a sport coat and tie to losing the tie and jacket. Here at Ritter Media World Headquarters, we have an even more relaxed dress code but when I visit clients or attend business meetings I try to respect what I believe their dress code will be. You can’t err by assuming it’s more formal than it turns out to be, and I’m always suprised when I meet third parties with those clients who show up very under-dressed.
Thanks for reading – I feel better now!
Consult Keith 