0:00 [Music] Who are you? And where are you going? What do you [Music] want? Hello and welcome to People Making Money. I'm your host, Kevin Bemmel, and we're here every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. to talk about uh job hunting, starting and running a business, building wealth, all of those financial matters that
0:35 provide the resources to live the kind of life we want to live. So whether you um you know want to live a a relatively modest life or you're angling to be I don't know the next long mosque, this is this is a place where we discuss all those those things. Although truth be told, you know, full disclosure uh not aiming to be uh as wealthy as Alon Musk or or any anybody of his ilk. Uh, so today I'm going to be talking about dressing for success. And this this is a topic, as
1:12 you might guess, near and dear to my heart since I always show up in a collared shirt and tie and I have a vest on. It's kind of my my my trademark, you know. Um, I come from an era when um, uh, Larry King was one of the most popular talk show hosts. He had a show called Larry King Live and he always was in shirt sleeves with with braces or suspenders and I think he wore a bow tie if I remember correctly. I remember seeing him in a restaurant in Los Angeles once. I was sitting at a table
1:48 facing my my date and there and he was at the table on this sort of platform but I looked up and there he was because I had heard his voice. I'm like I must be going crazy. I'm hearing Larry King and looked up and there he was and uh not not frankly dressed as dapper as he did for his show. Um but but still looking uh quite quite sharp and you know there there was a time when uh when espec uh prized dressing well and we have not
2:25 been in that era I think for quite a while. And then with the with the coming of COVID that that seems to have uh put um I I don't want to say a nail in that coffin, but but it certainly exacerbated the situation. And so before I get into some thoughts about how to dress for success, I I think I need to make the case why it's important. So, uh, first of all, there are numerous studies that have shown for decades that how we dress
3:02 has an impact on how we behave, how we perceive ourselves, how other people perceive perceive us. So if we want to be performing at a peak level, then we need to dress in a way that encourages us to do so. And contrary to popular belief, wearing pajamas or sweats does not encourage us to to operate at peak level. So it it's a kind of strange
3:37 phenomenon, but but comfort and peak performance don't align. So we we when we take care as to how we dress and when we dress as if we're doing something important we will be motivated more motivated I should say not motivated but more motivated to do something important. So you see this in with with uh young people in school. So schools that
4:13 uh have a dress code, generally speaking, the students behave better, they learn more, and they uh overall perform and get much more out of school than schools that don't. This is one of the big uh um arguments or ideas in favor of school uniforms. Now, there are other benefits of school uniforms to just digress for a moment and that is that students don't spend, you know, an hour every morning figuring out what
4:48 they're going to wear. Um, and also the uniforms sort of ipso facto mean that the the students are going to be dressed appropriately. So now this is not about school uniforms but um the the the it's the same um it's the same idea um with how we dress for our day. Right? So, if you've ever watched uh movies in the 1950s, for example, so the uh the
5:25 fellow showing up to deliver milk or the cleaning, he's in what amounts to a uniform, usually some kind of coveralls with company name on them, typically had a hat, and that uniform identified him as u essentially someone working in that field, right? A representative of his company. And I I I argue that it's a shame that companies don't do this anymore. In fact, even the US Postal
6:01 Service, if you've noticed, the casualness with which um um I guess we don't call them postmen anymore. Postal workers, I think is the term. The casualness casualness with which postal workers wear the, you know, US postal systems uniform. It's very very different than it was even 10 years ago, let alone 20 30 years ago or when I when I was a child. So now coming out of World War II where so many uh men and and women were in
6:38 uniform because they were in the military. So uniforms were, you know, very widely adopted. They also provided clothing that was appropriate to the task and that could be usually they were made from materials that could be easily cleaned or more easily cleaned. So, you know, coveralls for example for um people doing delivery services or or maintaining cars, working in factories, those kind of things. So nowadays there aren't a lot of people performing those
7:14 those jobs um with the exception of things like Door Dash and Uber Eats where I guess they're they are delivering things but these are gig workers and I I I mean I don't know the statistics but um per for some of them it may be their full-time employment but for many it's kind of their part-time employment. Uh but um you know for for plumbers or electricians um you don't you don't see often these days uh companies providing uh uniforms for their employees. And when I do have
7:49 a service person come to my house who is dressed with uh some sort of obviously companyisssued uniform. It's very impressive. And I will say that I generally speaking, I'm not generally speaking, almost always get uh better service, a more polite person. And I'm not saying that that's because they're wearing a uniform, but I think it's part of the ethos of the company. We take pride in our work. We take pride in our appearance. We take pride in how we
8:24 work, you know, talk and work with our customers. And so all of that is a part of the whole ecosystem to use kind of a high fallulutin word for this topic. And so I I would encourage you to think about how how you dress impacts your work. Now it it's an interesting thing because when someone goes uh to a meeting to discuss a job i.e. a job
9:00 interview. Generally speaking, they will give thought, sometimes a lot of thought to how they dress and there's the stakes are high in such a meeting, right? And so it's it's I guess the the thinking is it's worth one's time to to give thought to one's appearance, right? much less so once the person's working for the organization. And I think that's unfortunate because we should take as much care how we show up each day
9:38 um that we take in when we're trying to impress the company enough to hire us. And for those of us like me who have a business or a professional practice, I think we need to set the example. So, uh, when I meet with people, um, I had a a staff meeting yesterday, for example, at a company that's an asset for one of the estates that I administrate. So, when I show up for that meeting, I show up dressed like this. Now, not exactly, not the same shirt, right? But I I show up dressed
10:15 professionally. Now, um the other people, it's interesting because the first time we we uh um we all there there were four of us on this team. The first time the four of us met, one of the members showed up and he looked at the other three and said, "I didn't know you dress this way." Right? And I said to him, you know, this is how I dress every day, right? And the the other two members of the team are women. They they always dress very professionally, modestly, beautifully, I might add. And
10:51 and so the next meeting, he came dressed in a suit, right? So, and and I think that's important because we're trying to set a particular level of professionalism at the same time that we're building our our, you know, our teamwork so that everybody can work together as well as possible, right? and and yet at the same time um I have frankly very clear expectations about language, about behavior, uh and and I'm old-fashioned, uh about
11:26 how men treat women. Um and and and and this has been a topic of conversation at a couple of meetings. You know, I I I don't permit foul language in front of women and and I I I don't I don't like, you know, women talk I mean men talking to women with you we know like honey how you you know that kind of stuff. So by dressing in a professional manner it sets a tone um and and I think that's you know to to the benefit and it is interesting to right now um this
12:02 particular company doesn't have an office so we're meeting at a a coffee shop that I'll give them I'll give him a shameless plug. It's Verve uh down in downtown Los Angeles on uh I believe it's um uh Santa Fe Avenue in in San Mateo, right around in there. Uh fantastic coffee shop. So, one of the ladies found the location, suggested it, and we've been meeting there every week since then, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Now, most of the people at Verve are they're individuals or
12:37 maybe they're, you know, one, you know, two people together. They're a lot of them are working. They have their earbuds in and their computer, their laptop in front of them, right? Dressed very casually. Now, that's fine. But it is interesting because they see us there and they they know right away we're meeting for business, right? And we yesterday is a good example. young man next to us. He's got his earbuds in. He's got his computer and and he gets a call and he starts talking like, you know, other people aren't there. And then he glanced over us and we saw he saw we were dressed, you know,
13:12 similar to the way I'm dressed today. And all of a sudden he dropped his voice so he wasn't disturbing us uh because he saw that we were in a business meeting. So people behave very much in accordance with how w with with with the I don't want to call it the dress code although you know I I I set the example and and and you know would would have people follow my example if at all possible. Uh but they people will behave in accordance with how how they're dressed or how leadership of the company is
13:48 dressed. And I it's I think it's crucially important today that uh companies have an ethos of dress along with an ethos of behavior along with a mission and a purpose. And so all of these things work together to create the kind of environment that either supports the team members in doing their best and having opportunity for professional growth or doesn't. Right?
14:23 And if we want our business to be successful in in today's environment, if we want to be successful in today's environment, we we need to do everything we can to number one motivate us to peak performance. Number two, keep us focused on the tasks at hand. And number three, make us a cut above the competition. Right? Competition is is brutal these days and it's not competition is not going to drop. I I was having this conversation with a
14:59 friend on Monday in in the 80s and 90s in many ways were a lot easier time. That was you know pre-smartphones. Uh I mean the 80s were just late 80s maybe not even late 80s I think you didn't have social media. So all of these things uh smartphones and and social media the internet while they've increased product productivity in business they have also made business much more competitive and they've increased the pace at which uh at which
15:39 um uh business operates. So these are the kinds of things we need to keep in mind and we need to gear ourselves to deal with them as effectively as possible. So when we dress for success, we're making sure that we are as prepared to face the realities of the business world as as we can be. And comfort is is a fine thing. And I
16:14 can assure you after my day is done. Uh you know, I I I say my prayers, I make myself a a highball, typically a scotch and soda or a whiskey and soda as as the uh English would say, and I go take my shower and I relax and I put on sweats, you know. But at that point, you know, my work day is typically done. Um, you know, occasionally I'll do something after dinner, uh, if I've got, you know, a project that I'm working on or whatever. Um, but but most days once I'm done with my workday, I'm done. And so
16:49 that's why I can put on comfortable clothes and comfort is the rule in the evening. And comfort is not the rule during the the business day because during the business day uh peak performance is is what's required and and what I need to be motivating myself to do. So uh I have I have a few thoughts on how we can uh dress for success and uh I want to talk to you about those give you
17:24 some things to think about. Uh before before I do that I do want to share one more story with you. So when I was uh in the Navy, when I my I was in my first billet uh as a as a Navy chaplain in Okinawa, Japan, as what's called a collateral duty, meaning a duty in addition to my regular duties, I was the Brig chaplain. Brig is the Navy and Marine Corps term for jail. And once a week I went and visited the um it was almost all young men in in the brig.
18:02 And pretty quickly I I realized that most of these young men were not going to be going back to their job in the Marine Corps. they were going to be uh either administratively separated by the Marine Corps or they were going to be discharged on at best a general discharge and maybe even a dishonorable discharge. And they were going to be going back into the civilian world and they most of them were very young,
18:37 22 years of age or younger. So between 18 and 22, most of them had very little job experience. And most of them, the reason they were getting kicked out of the Marine Corps is they had committed what I somewhat tongue and cheek called the big stupid. uh like they got uh they got they drank too much alcohol out in town one evening and they got a little a little belligerent and they well they got belligerent not a little they got belligerent and they you know put their
19:13 fist through the window of a taxi, you know, and luckily for them uh the the Japanese police turned them over to the Marine Corps rather than putting in putting them in the local jail, Right. And so these young men needed to find a way to uh they needed to they needed to find their way in civilian life now and they didn't have the military to fall back on. And one of the first things they were going to need to do was find a job. And so I started doing a series of
19:51 classes each week on things like job hunting, resume writing, the sort of basic skills that they needed in order to as well as possible land on their feet on once they got back to civilian life. And one of the classes that I did was on dressing appropriately for the civilian, you know, for civilian business life. And I remember typically I had almost all almost all the um young men in the brig were there for the
20:26 class. The young women always showed up, but typically there'd be maybe one or two um at the very most and usually for a short period of time. And uh that that was because uh there was one particular uh um Marine who uh saw to it that all the other Marines showed up because he was a staff sergeant and he was used to taking care of Marines and we had struck up a a friendship frankly and and he he knew what I was trying to accomplish and he wanted to help me with that. Uh
21:03 so uh I was doing this this this class on dressing for success and I was suggesting that uh you know and and now this is going back to the this would have been 2007208 right around there. So, you know, 15, 16, 17 years ago, whatever it is. And and I suggested that, you know, depending on what industry they were going to be, you know, in which they were going to be looking for a job, uh, you know, a coat and tie wouldn't be necessarily inappropriate. And even if
21:40 they were, you know, going to be, for example, looking to get a job at, let's say, you know, Lowe's or Home Depot, uh, showing up for a job interview in a sports coat and tie with a collared shirt and nice slacks would certainly set them apart from the competition. And, uh, to his credit, uh, one of the young men, you know, stood up. there there's a certain protocol that has to be followed in the brig when you address someone who's not in the brig but is there you know to to work with you uh and he and he stated his
22:17 name and he said you know sir I I disagree with you I don't think it makes any difference how somebody dresses and I said well tell me why you think that now I think that surprised him I think he was assuming me to say something like I'm an officer I know better, you know, sit down. But, but no, I mean, if he was willing to stand up and say it, there were several of the other young men in the room were undoubtedly thinking it. So, I said, "Well, you know, te tell me why. I mean, you know, I'm I'm perfectly open to hearing reasons why." And he said,
22:53 "Well, you know, I used to be in the uh entertainment business uh before I joined the Marine Corps." So, he said, "Oh, what'd you do in the entertainment business?" He said, "Well, I was a I was a DJ." "Oh, okay, great." Um, and he said, "You know, if I showed up at a gig with a tie on, they probably would throw me out." I said, "Yeah, that makes sense to me." I said, "So, how did you dress?" And he said, "Well, usually I had kind of a suit with a with a a shirt, maybe a t-shirt or open collar shirt." I said, "Okay, exactly." Right. You dressed
23:29 appropriately for the industry in which you were working. I said, "My preference for ties." Look, I get it. I'm I'm old-fashioned. Uh, but the reality is in a lot of job situations, wearing a tie can be appropriate in the sense of conveying the message that you're taking this job seriously and you're interested in succeeding. Now, if you're in a profession like, and I named the marine, I don't remember his name now. I said like such and such where setting a tie
24:04 is is basically looking you know looks stupid. So then of course you don't want to alienate uh your customers, your clients. There's no point to that, right? So I think the the key thing on this is that uh we we need to dress appropriately for the industry or business in which we're working. So interestingly um these days what I found is unless someone is in a business or
24:41 profession where they routinely go to court. Um pe men don't wear ties anymore. So lawyers wear t lawyers who go to court wear ties. I wear a tie because in my fiduciary practice I I attend court hearings. Okay. Although I was taught no matter why you're going to court, um you know, you always you always wear a tie um out of respect for the proceedings um and and and and the judge, right? But but um outside of that, I think lawyers when they're in
25:16 their offices typically don't wear a a suit and tie. I know I met with uh an accountant for one of the estates that I'm handling last week and I went to see him at his office and he was in uh he was in basically workout clothes. Okay, fine. You know um and he knew I was coming but look, you know, he he needed to be comfortable. He was he was preparing a giant tax return. It was literally a stack of papers over a foot high, right? Uh, but if I I suspect, by the way, if I
25:52 were a new potential client coming to see him at his office, I bet you he would have been dressed differently. Um, and indeed, when he appeared on my show, um, this is now going back years ago, we've had a relationship now for I think about three years. Uh, he was dressed he was dressed, you know, more professionally. Now, by the way, I was dressed in workout clothes, too, because all I was doing was going down there to sign the return. Um, and and I had I worked out with my uh uh with my trainer uh earlier
26:28 that morning and then I had to jump in the car and go down to see him so so I didn't get caught in traffic coming back. Right. So uh but in general um you know the only business or profession anymore where someone wears a suit and tie I again is is people who who go to court. Uh um you know maybe people on Wall Street do I you know I'm not familiar enough with that world. or, you know, maybe they keep a a, you know, coat and tie hung on their door, their office door, so if
27:04 they have to go meet with a client, they can, you know, put on a coat and tie. Um, but otherwise, you know, they work in their office in in, you know, slacks and a shirt, shirt sleeves or whatever. I I I don't know. The key thing is we we have to know what the dress code is for our profession. Okay? And my advice is whatever the dress code is, comply with it at to a to the to a more formal level rather than to a less formal level. Right? So in any dress
27:40 code, there's there there's a range of what's appropriate andor allowed. And I recommend always being to the more formal side of that. uh it it conveys a message of seriousness, of intent and of a desire to excel in your position. Okay? And as and if you're a business owner, right? So, you're going to set the policy, right? And again, uh I'm not suggesting that if you're in a business where you know coat where men
28:17 don't wear suits and ties anymore that you wear a suit and tie. Although maybe you do. Uh nonetheless, whatever the standard is in your industry that you you stay on the more formal side of that standard. Okay? Whatever standard you set, your employees are generally going to be not quite at the same level you are. Okay? And if you find someone who's exceeding your standard, that individual is probably looking to send you a message about what his intentions are in terms
28:52 of success, not and not just in your business, but success in life, right? So, uh let's let's let's talk a little bit about uh dress codes. So uh again it it it used to be certainly in any kind of profession whether it was law, accounting, financial services, insurance um uh um investment banking uh all of those uh and and also by the way the seauite uh men wore business suits.
29:29 Okay. Now some business suits were more formal than others. Black was always considered the most formal color. Um and there I mean if we go back a hundred years uh you know black business suits during the business day was deriggor for bankers for lawyers. Okay that was sort of formal business dress. Um, and then there was sort of business professional, which was maybe, you know, a tone down from that, you might instead of wearing a black or a very dark blue suit or a
30:04 very dark gray suit. Those were the only three colors in business formal dress. Uh, you might wear light gray or even a a brown suit. In the summer when it if you lived in a hot climate, you might wear a khaki colored suit, brown khaki as opposed to green khaki. Okay. And uh generally speaking, uh men wore a white shirts or maybe a blue shirt, especially if it's formal. Those would have been the only two colors, white and light blue, not even French blue, the sort of medium blue color, but but light blue,
30:39 the color of the the shirt I'm I'm wearing without without the stripes. And then the ties would have been sober. Um, what I mean by sober is you you wouldn't have seen paisley ties or print ties. You would see maybe a rep tie. That's a tie that has the the sort of uh slanting stripes on it or you know single color tie. This this tie would not this tie is not a formal tie. First of all, it's a raw silk tie. So the material alone is not formal. Uh but uh the fact that it's it's got sort of a a pattern to it that
31:16 that is not considered a formal tie. By the way, neither would polka dots. Polka dots would not be considered a formal tie. So uh striped or solid would be really the only uh ties that were considered formal. And then for for shoes, it would have been closed toed shoes. and with a a black, dark gray or dark blue suit, the shoes would have been black. Now, they might have been wing tips if the person was particular had a particular whimsy, but other than that, they would have been black Oxford shoes, similar to what was is worn with
31:51 uh uniforms in in the military. Um, unless you were uh in naval aviation like me, in which case the shoes were brown. Uh, and and that was it. And then when women you know entered the professional workforce um so they typically wear wore tailored dresses or tailored skirts and blouses and then eventually uh pants suits became part of women's wardrobe. So that that was the the equivalent of of a you know suit and tie for men. So, uh, again, the the only place I
32:29 think you would see that today is maybe on Wall Street and then in court. So, but then there's what we might call business dress. Now, I I which is that's typically how I dress, I guess, is is is business or business professional, however you might term that. And so, for example, when I was I had a court hearing, I believe it was last week, if I recall, I wore a a light gray suit. It's springtime here in Los Angeles. I as as I recall, it was supposed to be a hot day and and so I wore a a light gray suit. Um, I think I
33:07 probably wore a light blue uh shirt and then I wore a patterned gray tie. I think it had, you know, spots on it or something like that. Uh, and uh, you know, truth be told, I wear slippers because you can't see my feet. Now, if I'm going out, of course, I don't wear slippers. Um, but uh, uh, that would be, you know, business professional. Now, uh, sometime if it's if it's in the when it, you know, for the few days in Los Angeles, it's cold in the fall and winter. So, I will sometimes wear a vest. Um, I don't have
33:43 any three-piece suits anymore. I did back in the 80s, but not not anymore. I may typically wear a sweater vest. It's comfortable. Um it's it's not as bulky um under a suit. Uh and and um it adds kind of a nice uh touch to it. I like having I like vests with pockets because sometimes I will carry a pocket watch just because it's fun. Um, and and I have a couple of uh pocket watches um that um that I I got from my uh grandfather um that I like to carry around and it helps me to think about him. Uh but um other than that, and
34:20 then for uh you know, if I'm wearing just a sort of regular business level, so uh you know, I might wear loafers. My preferred shoes are penny loafers with pennies uh in in the in the tabs. Again, it's I look, it's an affectation. I I admit it. But I prefer loafers because they're easy to slip on and slip off. Um but I do have tied shoes as well. And um and and and that's that that's that's kind of it. Um, you know, ties can be much more varied um with with a with
34:56 just a sort of a straight business uh dress code as opposed to a formal business dress code. Uh I I know at one time I I had a number of um uh Disney ties. One had all the Disney villains on it and things like that. Uh those are a little bit too loud for me these days. Uh, but I do have a couple of paisley ties and um I I I love raw silk ties. I have two or three of those. Um, and uh I have one tie that's ducks and dogs of all things. I'm not a hunter, but it just I don't know. I I
35:32 saw it several years ago. So, you know, I use I use ties to bring a bit of whimsy uh you know to how I dress. um they'll they they will sometimes be a conversation opener. So um you know someone may may comment on oh that's that's a that's a fun tie. That's an interesting tie. Oh, thank you very much. And you know now you have an opportunity to speak to the person which is always a good thing in business. Uh um sometimes I wear bow ties. My my former doctor used to tell me that I always looked like a pediatrician when I
36:07 did that because I guess pediatricians wear bow ties. Not not that doctors wear ties anymore, but back when doctors wore ties, they wore bow ties because if they wore a long tie like this, the children grab onto it and and choke them, right? But I I like And if you see me on my show, Jiggers' Place, you see me in a vest and bow tie. So, uh, you know, different things, you know, different different ties for different moods or whatever. uh you know, I I typically will take, you know, 10 minutes in the morning to decide what I want to wear uh based on what I'm going to be doing that day and and and kind of how I'm feeling.
36:42 And so that's that's another nice thing is uh the way, you know, the way we dress for business, we can add these days, we can add a bit of self-expression to it. Uh and and again, we create that opportunity for for interaction with other people. So, uh, so that's that that's a sort of, you know, business or business formal side of things. And, uh, you know, unless you're in, um, more of a trade or, you know, um, you know, some sort of, um, um, you know, outdoor business,
37:20 construction or something like that, you're not going to go wrong uh, dressing that way. So, I was talking to my nephew um a few weeks ago and we were we somehow we got on the sub subject of how to dress and he was lamenting that he hadn't listened to his mother about learning to dress appropriately. Um my older sister, his mother at one time was a fashion designer. So, she she was the one who largely who taught me how to dress. Uh and I I I remember I was going to a dance when I was in college. I didn't have nice clothes. And her
37:56 roommate and I were roughly the same size. He was taller than I was, but we were roughly the same size. And he loaned me a beautiful pair of tan uh uh wool gabarddine slacks and an absolutely exquisite double- breasted uh blue uh blue blazer. Um, and I and I had a shirt and tie and she put in a pocket square and we had to shorten the the pants temporarily because they were too long for me. But I felt like a million bucks uh when I was dressed that way. Uh, and
38:32 that was due to the good offices of my sister who knew such things. And uh, this friend of hers was someone I think she had gone to fashion design school with. So he obviously knew how to dress, right? And uh and so uh and and and as I recall, I was going to a a sorority party. Uh not something I was comfortable doing. Uh and uh you know, I showed up and with with my date. And she was, you know, very pleased to see me so nicely dressed. And it was at a private home, a beautiful private home. And
39:11 uh the photographer was super impressed and a lot of because a lot of the people there didn't take the time to dress nicely and and several of them proceeded to get very drunk and much to the chagrin of the host and hostess. Uh and and I and I think there's a connection between the two, you know. So uh so that's that's kind of the business side of things. Now, you know, if if you're in, uh, you know, construction or, you know, some other kind of, you know, uh, trade or whatever. So then, um, you're you're not going to dress like I do. It
39:47 would be inappropriate if I showed up to fix your sink, dress like that. You think I was some you think I was crazy and maybe not even let me in. Okay. And then there's kind of the middle ground. So like people who work in technology. So, I have a a very close friend who has worked in technology, you know, fields for many, many years now, and he dresses in jeans and a black t-shirt every day, right? And I I guess that's the the uniform of technology. And I think that's sad frankly uh because what people do in technology
40:22 companies is important and uh it would be I think they would do better work if they dressed like like the importance of the work they were doing I guess is the best way to put it. Um you can say I'm being judgmental. Okay, fine. But um that that's that's my my take on it. Um, so, um, you know, if I were working at a technology company, uh, I would probably dress this way every day. Um, and and if my colleagues didn't like it, well,
40:57 okay, you know, too bad for you. Um, but, you know, we're working in an office or working in an office environment, even if working from home. And, uh, I think it sets a particular tone. It certainly sets sends a message about how I want to be treated and for me that's important. So I I think that's something also worth thinking about is how do we want to be treated by our colleagues and how can we dress in a way that sends a message about that to other people. So, and then and then there are people who are more in some of the arts
41:32 professions like the the fellow I mentioned when I was doing the class at the break. He was in he had formerly been in the music business, film business, whatever. So, you know, what I find is there's there's sort of two there's two ways people go and that is if if they're more on sort of the technical side, they're you know, gaffers, grips, you know, that sort of thing. So then they're going to dress in, you know, jeans and whatever because they're dragging lights around, they're dragging props around, that kind of stuff. And that's perhaps that's appropriate. Of course, during the
42:08 golden age of Hollywood, they would have been dressed in coveralls. That was sort of the derriger uniform. Um, and then the the the you know, people the sort of above the line people um the actors and actresses, the director, the producer, the the AD, those kind of people. if we're talking about a film or you know some kind of video production. So, um they may be dressed in a more arty style if you will. So, yesterday when I went to Verb as I walked out the door, I grabbed one of my hats. I had my, you
42:43 know, fedora. Um it it makes me feel a little more arty and kind of goes with the vibe of the place. And uh I I think the people there appreciate that here's this old guy, right, who's, you know, making an effort to fit in to the atmosphere that they're trying to create. So there are people who dress in a more, you know, kind of arty way, and I think that's that's wonderful. Um, and there are others that, you know, they just show up in their, you know, pajamas or sweats because they're going to be changing into a costume or something like that if they're an actor or actress. And so then they they don't
43:18 think it matters. Now it is interesting if you see pictures again from the golden age of Hollywood of directors. They were typically wearing a suit and a tie or a sports coat and slacks and a tie. So they you know they they actually dressed that way. Those were not uh publicity stills. Those were the way people actually dressed in the 40s50s and even into the 1960s. I don't think that's the case anymore. Uh but uh I know my friend and longtime production partner Rick uh he always wears a tie when he's directing. Um so uh you know
43:55 again he's he wants to set a particular tone um on his set and and I'm usually do on the production side the producer or executive producer of the projects we've done over the years. So you know it's it's it's it's my obligation to support him in that. So when I'm on his set, I'm in a tie. Right? So these are the things I would encourage you to think about about your industry and and about how you dress um and and how that dress is appropriate. Now, a just a a few kind of quick hints on how to no
44:33 matter how formal or informal the dress code is for your industry. There's there are certain um principles I guess we could call them that I think apply across the board and one of them is good fit is a must. Okay. So um clothes should fit you well. They they you know shouldn't be grossly oversized or way too tight. And there was a trend where guys were wearing you know jackets that I think they were at least a size too small. They all look like, you know, the
45:08 Pillsbury Doughboy sort of. Not a good look, no matter what. Never was a good look. I know it was kind of a popular style for a while. Never a good look. Clothes should fit you appropriately. And, you know, especially if you're getting nice clothes, sports coat or, you know, slacks. Um, you know, have a little tailoring done so that they do fit you. so that they're not too pinched at the waist or too slack in the bottom or very, you know, baggy at the shoulders. Many of those with with not a lot of money, those those a tailor can
45:44 correct those and make it fit nicely for you. And there I will say there is nothing so there's no feeling so wonderful as putting on a a um made to measure suit. Um I' I've never had a bespoke suit made, but I've had made to measure it. Just it's wonderful to put them on. So, um I I would encourage you if you're especially if you're going to get um nicer, you know, more business professional clothes to get them appropriately tailored. Um but even if you're going to wear, let's say, coveralls. So coveralls can be tailored
46:20 as well and they will fit more comfortably. They'll look better and you will look more professional in in your work um by having them tailored. So as well your your shoes should be polished assuming that you you know where you're not wearing some kind of you know canvas shoes or something like that. Uh and and this is this is just my preference. Um, men should always wear closed toed shoes at work. Even if it is not a dangerous work site like the deck of an aircraft carrier, closed toed shoes are
46:55 a must. Um, I do prefer women wear closed toed shoes as well. Although, um, that is not necessarily the case. There are, you know, trends in women's shoes and sometimes open to shoes are perfectly fine in a professional uh, uh, you know, situation. Um, but the sho the shoes should be clean. If they're leather, they should be polished. Uh, and it it it's not a lot of work to polish shoes once you know how to do it. Now, in my day, you you learned how to do that in the Cub Scouts or like my dad taught me to do that, I think, even before the Cub Scouts. So, that's how
47:30 you did it. And you want to be neatly groomed. Your hair, nails should be um, you know, appropriately cut, all that. Now, that's not to say you have to have short hair like mine, but whatever hair you have should be, you know, neatly groomed as opposed to sort of wild and, you know, bird nesty as we used to say. Um, with respect to colors, um, neutral and muted colors, you're never going to go wrong with that. Now in in more art oriented situations, u fashion, media, those kind of so then
48:05 you know muted colors aren't um the necessity necessarily. Although if you're in the on the business side of those professions, you probably do want to dress a little more conservatively. And so, you know, you you're not going to go wrong with muted colors. And the other thing about muted colors is they tend not to go out of style, right? Whereas, you know, whatever the color is this year, it's probably going to change next year. You you may not um be dressed appropriately by wearing sort of last year's colors. So, uh neutral colors, uh
48:40 dark blue, medium blue, gray, black, white, uh off-white, those are all, you know, very safe choices and they're, you know, they they're perennial choices. And then if you want to add some color, uh, if you're a man, you can add color with a tie or a shirt, pocket square. Sorry, pocket square. Make sure I have it on the right side. You know, for a for a woman, you can add a scarf. Um, maybe a bracelet. Um, so those those kinds of accessories can add
49:15 a little bit of color. Um, and they can help you uh change, if not dress up, what is otherwise a sort of neutral or muted color outfit. Um, accessories uh really should be minimal. Again, depending on your in, you know, the industry that you're in. Um, the sort of art and media industries are always an exception. a little a little bit more uh flamboyance is is you know perfectly acceptable. Okay. But um you know if you
49:52 wear a watch, okay, I have my Apple Watch. I have several other nice watches. Um but uh I've seen people with two watches, an Apple Watch and a regular one. Don't quite understand that. Um on the Sabbath, I don't wear my Apple Watch. I wear a regular watch. Okay. And like I said, sometimes I I have a pocket watch, which is a kind of a fun accessory. Um um one or one or two of them have chains even, which is very sort of old-fashioned. Um I I only wear my aura ring generally during uh the week. Um obviously, if you're married, you're going to wear your your wedding
50:27 ring. Uh for a woman, certainly one ring on each hand absolutely appropriate. May maybe be more depending on your profession. Um, on the other hand, none may be right if you're in a profession where you use your hands a lot and they're going to get damaged. Okay? Uh, and you know, again, earrings, um, look, if you're if you're in the, uh, you know, some sort of media, um, multiple earrings, I think, are probably acceptable these days. So, um, but but in any event, um, in general, being a little understated,
51:03 you're never going to go wrong. Okay? Being overstated might, you know, might turn some people off. And if and if having a relationship with those people is important, that that will be a detriment for you. So, um, it never hurts to be a little bit understated. And then um you want your clothes to be um uh pressed iron so there's no wrinkles. Uh now that can be difficult if you're wearing linen, one of my favorite fabrics. Linen, the look of linen is a bit rumpled. Okay, that's
51:38 just how it is. Now, in general, I don't wear linen for bis for business um because it does have that rumpled look, but it is one of my favorite things to wear when I'm, you know, if I'm going to go out in the evening or um you know, think, you know, after hours, like I have some linen slacks that I just wear around the house sometimes. Um after the workday is done, it's linen is a beautiful fabric. um has a certain feel to it that no other fabric has. Now, linen blends, linen blended with silk or
52:14 with cotton doesn't doesn't wrinkle as easily. It doesn't have that rumple rumpled look to it necessarily. And so, and and the great thing about linen is it's a very breathable material, which is why it was worn in hot climates. So, if you live like like in Southern California like I do or Arizona, Texas where where it can be very hot, linen is a wonderful fabric to wear because it breathes so well and uh it won't feel as as warm if you're you know if you're outside. So, uh you know it it it uh and if it is hot outside, you know, the fact
52:50 of the matter is we persspire. clothes do look rumpled, but when you're in a warm climate like that in the southeast, that that's just sort of deriggor for how it is. So, um it's it's not necessarily a faux paw. Um to not look, you know, um you know, absolutely, you know, freshly pressed and all that kind of thing. Okay. Um now, I I like wearing uh cologne. Um but I'm careful to not wear a lot of cologne. Just a couple of squirts. um you know so that during the day once in a while I'll get a whiff of it but
53:26 it's not a good idea to wear overwhelming scent um there are people who are allergic to it um but but um it's it's nice to you know have a whiff of scent um and and then if you are going to carry you know a briefcase or um if you have a a backpack you know it should be it should be neat professionallook Um, you know, I mean, unless you're, you know, an outdoor guide, in which case, you know, it should be professional looking, but you're not going to get something, you know, polished leather. It's going to be practical for the work that you do. Um, and then
54:03 finally, how do you figure out what is the appropriate dress code? Well, the best way is to look at what are the more senior people in your profession or business. How do they dress? Okay. And you will not go wrong if you follow what people who are farther along in their careers are wearing. Now I I know that's somewhat unpopular today to you know do what older people do so to speak but the fact of the matter is uh you know those people who are senior to you in a business or profession um they have
54:41 influence if not a great deal of control over your professional progress. And so it it may very well make sense for you to send a message to them that you're willing to conform to the the dress standards uh that that they're setting for that particular industry. Um there's nothing, you know, cloying or or brown-nosing about that. So that that's a good way to know. The final thing I want to say is dressing for success means dressing in a way that gives you confidence. And
55:17 and I'm going to end up where I started, which is how we dress impacts how we behave, how we think, how we perform. And if we want to strive for excellence, then we need to dress for excellence. And we shouldn't be fooled into thinking that dressing for comfort prepares us for excellence. Rarely is that the case. Okay. So unless maybe we're a masseuse or something like that where we we give a great deal of uh you know physical
55:54 movement in our work. Look at you know baseball players, look at football players, basketball players, okay? uh their uniforms are not nearly as comfortable as we might think they are. Okay? They're they they they in those uniforms there's durability, there's identification, there's safety built into those uniforms. If they were dressing solely for comfort, uh they probably wouldn't wear, you know, big shoulder pads on football players. They wouldn't wear the kind of helmets that they wear. Those are not comfortable.
56:29 Okay. So, and these are some of the top performing people in the world. Okay? So, I encourage you to to think about that when you think about you maybe right now you're rejecting the idea that that dressing for comfort means that you're not dressing for peak performance. Let's look at the people who perform at the peak athletically. They're not dressing for comfort. They're dressing for peak performance and we need to do the same thing. So I
57:04 encourage you to dress for success whether that looks like me or whether that looks like the other the the sen more senior people in your profession or industry that's that's the way to go. So, uh, I thank you very much for joining me today, letting me get on my soap box here for almost an hour on on a subject that, you know, is very near and dear to my heart. Uh, I I I if you have any questions, comments, uh, all the links to social media will be in my show notes. Feel free to drop me uh a
57:39 comment. Criticism, have at it, you know, tell me why I'm crazy. I'm I'm I'm open to it. just like the fellow in the brig and maybe we'll start a conversation and uh if you have something personal you can always email me my email address will be there as well. So uh tomorrow at 5:00 p p.m. is my every other week show Jiggers's Place. We're going to have a cocktail and as the uh Jewish holiday of Passover approaches it starts on Saturday night.
58:14 I'm going to be talking about biblical commandments, what they are, why they are. Um, and it's probably not what you're thinking. So, I I invite you to tune in and have a cocktail with me while we talk about something completely unrelated to finances. So, that's tomorrow at Jiggers's Place, 5:00 p. p.m. Pacific time. Next week at on Monday at 10 a.m. Pacific is my show, Trust and Estates Weekly. On Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time is my show, uh, Business Lessons from the Military. And then a week from today, I'll be back for
58:49 the next edition of People Making Money. So, thanks again so much for joining me, especially all the folks live. Uh, little bit higher numbers today. Not sure why, but maybe maybe I'm going to have some converts out of the show. That would be terrific. Thank you so much for joining me. Thanks for the comments. Uh, Aib thank thanks so much and wishing you a wonderful rest of the day and signing off as I always do. Marie darling, you are my bell. I hope I always look like your bow that you want me to be that
59:24 that that that you that you told me I was. Courage and