I rented the movie Wall Street this week. Do you remember it?
It was an Oscar-winner from 1987, directed by Oliver Stone and starring Michael Douglas as an incredibly wealthy but unscrupulous trader. It also starred Charlie Sheen as a young, desperately-eager-to-make-it-big stockbroker. I wanted to remind myself of the movie and its plot because the sequel Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps has just been released into the theatres, with Michael Douglas playing the same character of Gordon Gekko.
In watching the original, I found it to be just “okay,” with a predictable plot line. But that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy myself. Because, let me tell you, I did!
No, it wasn’t from chuckling at the brick-sized cell phones or the largesse of the women’s hair styles. It was the countless handsome young men in this movie — all wearing suits. Handsome. Tailored. Suits.
It made me yearn for a time when men wore suits regularly. Now I only see a man in a suit (including my own) at weddings or funerals. And it’s a real shame, because a suit on a man is a beautiful thing.
And then I got to thinking about this whole “business casual” thing. Who came up with business casual anyway? I’d like to know so that I can tell them what a major disservice they have done for me — and women everywhere.
I think men look good in two types of clothing: casual (Levi jeans and a t-shirt) or formal (a good suit). No matter what size a man is, I think these two types of wear can be universally flattering.
Notice that this doesn’t include “business casual.” I have yet to see a man look good wearing “business casual.” Have you? All I seem to see are men that look like this:
Neither the “proper” or “improper” forms of business casual in this image do anything for me.
I really just think business casual was a bad idea. Even for women. I would personally prefer to wear a business suit every day. It would actually make things so much simpler for me because one never needs to worry about trying to match a suit together! Just go into a store, buy the suit — voila! — an outfit. Same process applies for the closet in the morning. Love it.
In fact, the idea of working in a “suit only” environment is so appealing, I would consider it a major employment perk. More handy, certainly, than a gym facility I would never use anyways (despite many a lofty intention otherwise!). Besides, a gym wouldn’t even be necessary if people wore well-tailored suits that comfortably covered any of the lumps and bumps our middle-aged bodies may have.
Instead, one never knows these days what kind of atrocities they will face when walking into the office … will it be leggings? flip flops? skinny jeans? or just the sad, defeated look of men in pleated khaki pants.
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This made me smile and giggle and was a delight to read. I fully agree. the new business casual is no fun. Thank you for your well written opinion. As a professional image consultant, many of my clients are confused by the varying versions of business casual as well as frustrated when shopping for something that shows more personality than a traditional, conservative suit. A polished professional doesn’t have to be uncomfortable. In fact I find most of my male clients feel a greater sense of confidence when they are dressed in a sharp suit. And there is nothing more sexy than confidence on a man.
Yes, business casual has been a slippery slope. Starts out with nice dress pants & shirt (i.e. lose the tie & jacket), then it’s khakis + dress shirt, then khakis with scrubby looking golf shirt, then it quickly spirals downhill from there.
Not sure if this is just a North American thing?… business people in Europe & Asia tend to dress much better at work than here.