Are suits a thing of the past? Are loafers and havaianas the new work shoes?

A lot of my work day to day is within Fintech so maybe this article will be completely skewed in that all I see mostly nowadays are young talented Fintech entrepreneurs wearing ridiculous non business type outfits, or is this just the norm?

I often have meetings with really nice polite people who are competent and successful in their own right but will wear a t-shirt and if I’m lucky a pair of converse to cover their toes! Add to this that my core Fintech business is based in canary wharf and when I go out to lunch I see the “Grey Brigade” — The bankers! With their ill fitted Tony Soprano style baggy grey suits with the most ridiculous patterned ties and those black clunky shoes! Come on guys …!!

Recently, a city friend of mine remarked

“You never wear brown in town”

referring to my lovey tan coloured tassled loafers. I found this hilarious, Black shoes and the ‘City boy code’ You are literally not allowed brown shoes in a bank so it seems.

So where does this collide? Who dresses more appropriately and does the way you dress for your work day affect not only perception of those people that want to do business with you but also your own levels of output. I was always told that if you get dressed into a sharp suit for work and polished shoes you would be more motivated and work harder…. What do you think?

Can the way we dress day to day really impact on us and how successful we can be?

But what should modern office workers wear in 2017?

PwC decided to entirely ditch its dress code

The Australian office of PwC decided to entirely ditch its dress code. No longer do workers have to follow a ‘modern professional’ dress code, which required men to wear business socks, women ‘tailored’ dress trousers or dresses and both to wear ‘business-style shoes or boots’.

Instead they can wear whatever they want. We can already imagine PwC’s Aussie accountants and audit specialists bringing their shorts and surf boards to the office. “We want to give [staff] a bit of latitude to be themselves,” — Sue Horlin, PwC Australia’s human capital leader.

Square CEO Jack Dorsey is considered by many to be one of the most stylish men in tech, regularly donning leather jackets and slim suits by Prada and Hermès. He also grabbed attention with his Dior Homme reverse-collar dress shirts, a sort of stylish take on the popped collar.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg opts for a less avant-garde look. In a recent Q&A with Facebook users, Zuckerberg explained that he wears the same grey t-shirt every day because it allows him to keep his mind clear for bigger decisions.

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has a taste for high fashion, choosing pieces by top design houses like Carolina Herrera, Alexander McQueen, and Balenciaga.

So my personal preference has always been to look smart and dress sharp but depart from the normal course. Don’t try too hard in business. I do also think that turning up to a meeting in board shorts and T-shirt may feel comfortable to you but can potentially send out the wrong message to potential clients and investors — As you can see that didn’t work for Zuckerberg at all!

Dress smart but dress modern!

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