What Not To Wear

Working as a manager in the creative industries & education sector I face a regular problem. Its not a staff problem or a technology problem, its not a resourcing or client problem, the problem is sartorial.

On a couple of a occasions recently I have found myself either the most over dressed or the most under dressed man in the room. In such a situations not only do you stand out but you have to justify your attendance and involvement at the event or meeting. At one of these events I was over dressed and I must have been asked at least three times what I did to satisfy my creativity and I found myself explaining how I am a musician and how I was signed to a label a few years back blah blah blah to justify my corporate suit and tie.

I'm not the only one experiencing such issues, I met a music producer a few years back called Stereo Mike http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereo_Mike. Mike is both a Hip Hop producer and university lecturer, he explained to me being a lecturer damaged his cred in the Hip Hop world and being a Hip Hop guy meant people at the university he worked at didn't always take him seriously.

The nature of work in 2009 dictates that we must be flexible and able to adapt to different situations, markets and challenges and I accept that from time to time when crossing sectors you are understandably going to have to demonstrate your value, even so we all know first impressions last so its best to get the dress code right.

A couple of years back I was agonizing over what to wear for a panel discussion I was to be involved in at a conference. It was a technology/media conference and I felt a suit was too formal so I went with an approach that I'm going to call the Anchorman. To achieve the Anchorman look is simple as the Anchorman look is just jeans and a shirt. Take the same shirt you'd wear with your suit and wear it with a pair of jeans, simples. So if you were reading the news it would appear as though you may well have suit trousers on, but really under the desk you are sporting some thing much cooler on your legs, James Dean cool. Having decided upon the Anchorman approach for the panel discussion I confidently sent my wife a video message via Facebook (the conference was in the states) explaining my dilemma and excellent solution. She wasn't so impressed, commenting that I looked like I was in Dire Straits, it was my first attempt at pulling off the Anchorman look, I've got better since.

We all prepare a face to meet the faces that we'll meet, all you've got to get right is which face to put on. Be prepared if you get it wrong you are going to have to start explaining yourself.

Oliver Williams
Acting Director at Screen Media Lab