It’s not even summer yet, and you guys are sweating. Showing up at a wedding in jeans and a crumpled jacket will make you sweat bullets-oh, excuse me, perspiring--especially when the crowd is decked out in suits and even ties. Dress codes have lost their tidy edges. Fashion should be a form of self-expression and an opportunity to put that first impression to your advantage. So how do we get up and have any clue where to start. What is a guy to wear these days? Let’s talk this conundrum through together.

Going back to the office means something different in different cities and different industries and even different companies within those segments. Business and Business Casual translated differently before Covid-19 and the past year, and now any certainty is still fluid. Co-workers, customers, and employers need a take-me-serious atmosphere to push through the missing time. You have got to admit; we feel better when we look better. Dressing well makes us feel good, and it just the right thing to do.

As men’s fashion is inclined to look to history anyway, I remember the general principle from my grandfather: If you are unsure whether it is appropriate, chances are not. Today I see there is more overall resistance to dressing well every day. So all-out Casual Fridays in athleisure wear are not a recommended starting point. . Dressing up a notch is the safer bet, and we will all stand taller, look better and enjoy the event. The proper attire at different events and now going back to different offices.

Business Casual became a compromise back in the 1960s for employers to get their employees to step up the too-casual jeans and shorts and Hawaiian shirts at work. Suit and tie were the appropriate office attire, without question then. There was a clear distinction between daywear and eveningwear that mostly melted away by then.