What’s happened since I left for South Africa 5 1/2 years ago? The slippery slope of business dress has slid to a new low. It seems like every few months when I return to see U.S. clients, the standards are looser and many companies have completely abandoned the idea of a workplace dress code. My inner voice screams “BIG MISTAKE” but my practical side says, “this is an opportunity” for everyone to take control of their personal brand and stand out as a career climber. The key is not to get dragged down in the sea of mediocrity while everyone else is caring less and less about how they look. Remember— like it or not, your appearance sends a strong message about your abilities and your work ethic. That means in this era of “anything goes” dressing, you alone are responsible for maintaining a professional image that gains workplace respect.
Having said all that, many of us work in environments where men’s suits or even sport jackets, may be considered too dressy. It’s harder and harder for many men to differentiate between the levels of dress that keep them looking professional in “business casual” workplaces. The next few blogs are designed to give you options for maintaining your professional standards.
Today, we explore UNTUCKit shirts. UNTUCKit was founded to solve the problem of dress and button down shirts not looking good unless they were tucked in. The long length and wide body of a traditional dress shirt looks sloppy and unkept worn outside the pants. UNTUCKit solves this problem with high quality fabrics in styles that are tailored to skim the body.
The shirts come in a wide variety of styles — their traditional oxford solids and some their plaids would work very well for casual work environments while seasonal linens or checkered patterns are best worn on days off. In any case, the fit works for most men from 5’8 to 6’3 and the cuts are regular or slim. Sizing (see table) is pretty straightforward but runs slightly smaller than what you may be used to. Shipping and returns are free. Prices run from around $80 to $100, but at this writing there were great shirts on sale for $68.
Just a quick reminder — best to avoid the short sleeve version for the workplace. Get the long sleeves and roll’em up. Like you mean business.