Professional Dress Help

**Panache** · 9th May 08, 01:16 PM

The Force is strong in this one.

Originally Posted by berserkbishop

Panache, I have a Navy "Mani" by Armani blazer and a upscale all wool department store suit in navy with dark pinstripes. I figure all i need now would be a black blazer, or black suit. . . .

BB

**Cerebite** · 10th May 08, 09:39 AM

If your feet required a "different" width you would know by this time in your life.

If your shoes wear out at the pinkie toe, you might have wide feet

If you find youself buying shoes with "lots of room in the toe" so they feel good, you might have wide feet

If your feet hurt at the pinkie toe after being in shoes all day, you might have wide feet [and have been wearing a shoe that was too small all day]

If you buy shoes a size [or 2 or 3] larger to make them feel comfortable, you might have wide feet

If you tie your shoes loose so the top of your feet doen't hurt, you might have high arches.

etc... you get the idea. Of course the antithesis is true if you have narrow feet. As you can tell I have "square feet" and a high arch. If I can find the width I can wear an 8.5, I usually end up in a 9.5 for the width and they still wear out at the outside of the toe box.

The cruciform shoe sizer that most shoe store use has a width measure as well

**Standard** · 10th May 08, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by berserkbishop

What do you all think of these

BB

Excellent choice, timeless styling, and black.

**berserkbishop** · 11th May 08, 11:28 PM

I popped into my local Goodwill on a whim the other day. I was browsing the shoe section and found these.

They have leather sole, and look almost new. Best of all I paid only $4 for them! What do you think fellas?

BB

**SteveB** · 11th May 08, 11:53 PM

Great deal. Looks like they are the ticket you want for the heavy office work ahead.

**MacMillan of Rathdown** · 12th May 08, 08:45 PM

Excellent choice! Now get 'em to your local shoe repair dude and have him glue a rubber half-sole on them so you don't slip on DC's notoriously slippery pavement.

**McMurdo** · 12th May 08, 09:36 PM

Nice find, and MacMillian is right the DC pavement is slick, best protect yourself.

**gilmore** · 12th May 08, 11:42 PM

Originally Posted by Rex_Tremende

...
A general rule of thumb at the office is to dress at the level to which you aspire. Like it or not, your shoes are a clue to others what that is. ...

I would add to this that it might be wise to wait until you get there and are on the job before buying too many things, so you can take a look at what others are wearing, in order to get your bearings.

There is a difference between being dressed correctly and being dressed appropriately. It is possible that you could follow the best advice in the world and show up looking very out of place for the situation in which you find yourself. (And at the Bush White House, who knows.... Cowboy boots?)

**berserkbishop** · 13th May 08, 01:35 AM

Originally Posted by gilmore

I would add to this that it might be wise to wait until you get there and are on the job before buying too many things, so you can take a look at what others are wearing, in order to get your bearings.

There is a difference between being dressed correctly and being dressed appropriately. It is possible that you could follow the best advice in the world and show up looking very out of place for the situation in which you find yourself. (And at the Bush White House, who knows.... Cowboy boots?)

I agree with that whole heartedly. I have recieved a general overview of expected dress code from the Senators office, however, and am doing my best to prepare accordingly. I dont know what my opportunities will look like as far as time, money, and transportation are concerened when I get to DC so I would like to have most everything squared away prior to starting my internship.

BB

**berserkbishop** · 18th May 08, 09:55 PM

So I finally recieved the Armani blazer the other day, and I went out to Dillards and picked up some 100% wool khaki slacks. Here is a picture of me doing casual with the outfit.

I also dropped a bit more cash than I was wanting to on a couple of suits from Jos. A Banks. In the long run I feel it was a good investment and I feel that now I have enough "classy" jackets to survive in DC.

I have a question. Here is some history behind it. I found 5 name brand dress shirts (mainly Brooks Bros.) in my size for sale on ebay for $75 bucks advertised as point collars. I snatched them up without second thought. When the came, they were actually button down, which I am not a fan of personally.

I asked eariler, but do you gents feel like the button downs will be fine for my work in the white house?

BB