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Career Guidance

9/30/2009 8:13:10 PM EST

Does Dress Really Affect Your Success?

Posted by LexisHub Staff

Do the partners at your firm wear business suits every day? Every day except Friday? Or just when they meet with clients? Not even then? A number of factors can come into play: East or West Coast, clients in banking vs. technology, partners with a more traditional viewpoint or a more casual style. With these variables and more, does it matter what you wear to work? In a word: yes.

Many firms no longer require the formal business attire that was expected 20 years ago—and some even make “business casual” a part of their recruiting. While the quality of your work clearly matters more than the quality of your tailoring, your success depends on making a favorable impression with senior associates and partners—and possibly even with clients.

Find out what professionals in your firm expect. What type of dress is consistent with the firm’s brand and style? What conveys respect? What’s a practical way to meet expectations? If in doubt, ask someone you can trust who has a good reputation in your firm.

Here are some related comments from articles and blogs:

“Perhaps several years ago, with a hot economy, associates could take more liberties with their attire. But if the recession forces more layoffs, and a firm must choose between a professionally-dressed third year associate and a sloppy one, it’s not hard to predict who will keep the job: the one who’s dressed for it.”

—Carolyn Elefant on AmericanLawyer.com Legal Blog Watch

“Well … what about the west coast where you have to interact with dot com executives that have a different take on fashion. Showing up in a suit at a tech firm may be frowned upon.”

—Fashion Police on WSJ.com Law Blog

“At our bay area office of a medium-sized national firm, even the partners wear jeans. Khakis at the most. Like Fashion Police said, you can’t just drop in at Google wearing a suit.”

—anon on WSJ.com Law Blog

“As the father of two attorneys and a businessman who sometimes needs to utilize an attorney, I offer the following perspective. Dress as you want to be perceived. Dress as who you want to become.”

—Father of Attorneys and Client of Attorneys on WSJ.com Law Blog

“Many experienced lawyers see their wardrobe as a tool to win the trust of clients, juries and judges. Legal associates who aren’t sartorially prepared may not be invited along to a new-client pitch or to take a leading role in court, regardless of the office’s stated ‘business casual’ dress code.”

—Christina Binkley, “Law Without Suits: New Hires Flout Tradition,” The Wall Street Journal Online, January 31, 2008

“I find that I work more efficiently and produce better quality work-product when dressed professionally. I think the whole suit or shirt-and-tie thing is as much about a mindset as it is about looking nice. One can express their individualism in a nice suit and tie just as easily in jeans and a wrinkled polo. Although, I must admit, it is a rule at the firm I work for that shirt-and-tie are required everyday workday except friday.”

—UB2L on WSJ.com Law Blog

“Jeans and other casual attire are common in Denver.”

—Denver Lawyer on WSJ.com Law Blog

“I believe a lot of the young associates are not necessarily in tune with the “real world.” I am an in-house attorney working for a large company, but before that I had my own practice and I worked for a mid-size firm and I think it was always helpful to ‘dress the part.’ Whether we like it or not attorneys are judged by everyone (lawyers, partners, corporations, clients, co-workers, family, friends, strangers etc) everyday based on 1st impressions, which is how you look, not your intellect ... .”

—Another Perspective on WSJ.com Law Blog

“If they cannot distinguish between proper and improper dress, what other rational skills are they lacking?”

—Anon on WSJ.com Law Blog

“Those who think that associates can wear whatever they want miss the point. Who do associates work for? Law firm associates work for the partners, not the clients. They should dress to satisfy the partner, not themselves. Satisfying the clients is the partner’s job. … It may feel silly to ask a boss how they want you to appear—particularly in the law firm culture where everyone is a know-it-all—but in my experience, bosses appreciate subordinates’ awareness of their role and willingness to play it.”

—Gotta Serve Someone on WSJ.com Law Blog

“I am a woman and consultant at a Big Law firm. I always wear a suit (or at least a jacket) and a blouse with a collar. I believe my appearance makes the partners take my work seriously and earns their respect. …As for keeping a quick change suit in the office, I know quite a few partners have suits and pressed shirts on a hook on the back of their office door.”

—Non-attorney consultant at law firm

“If you are partnership material, you dress like the partners, and you already know this.”

—PARTNER

First published June 8th 2008, updated September 30, 2009.

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Comments
Razzungil Last Post: 6/8/2008 8:41:48 PM	Subject: Does Dress Really Affect Your Success? Date Posted: 6/8/2008 8:41:48 PM
Razzungil Last Post: 6/8/2008 8:41:48 PM	While it is not required that a new associate wear an Armani suit (for men) or a Channel suit (for women), it is important to appear that you are serious about your job and your career. If the community in which you work requires jeans, make sure they not torn, stained, or ill fitting. The jeans should look like they are the expensive kind, not the ones you use to work in the garden. Women's casual clothes do not include flip-flops. You are working in an office, not having a day at the beach. If the partners at your firm where suits with ties every day, make sure you look like the partner you want to be. If you are going to court, make sure that you are dressed appropriately, a judge will frown on both you and your client is you dress in a manner that fails to show respect. Keep an emergency jacket in the office for those times when you are called to go to court at the last minute. Create an account or login to post comments.
Karma1118 Last Post: 6/11/2008 9:23:12 AM	Subject: Does Dress Really Affect Your Success? Date Posted: 6/11/2008 9:23:12 AM
Karma1118 Last Post: 6/11/2008 9:23:12 AM	What to wear depends on the circumstances. If you are meeting with clients, you need to dress like a professional if you want to inspire your client to believe that you are well-educated and are deserving of the trust that the client is placing in you to represent him or well. If the client cannot distinguish between you and the server at his favorite restaurant, he isn't likely to believe that you are a professional. On the other hand, if you are representing clients who need to feel a certain level of comfort (family law, e.g.), you don't want to intimidate the client to the point that he or she is not comfortable confiding in you. Another thing to consider: are you spending most of your time in a library performing research? If so, being dressed to the nines isn't essential, but a partner should be able to distinguish between you and support staff. Create an account or login to post comments.
AME3bg Last Post: 6/11/2008 9:29:18 AM	Subject: Does Dress Really Affect Your Success? Date Posted: 6/11/2008 9:29:18 AM
AME3bg Last Post: 6/11/2008 9:29:18 AM	While you can take your cue from what the partners in the firm are wearing, keep in mind that they paid their dues. You haven''t. You still need to impress them. That doesn''t mean that if they are wearing jeans that you should wear a suit every day, but don''t assume that you can wear the same clothes that you''d wear to lounge around the house just because they do. Create an account or login to post comments.

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