Overcoming Age Bias: Dress Professionally

I went from being perceived as a lazy college student to a promising up and comer almost overnight. Changing my appearance played a big role in that.

Whether you’re in the corporate world or still in school, surely you’ve realized that being young has as many advantages as disadvantages.

You may not know this, but the baby boomer generation doesn’t get us. I know I’m not making any kind of revelation here.

What you may not know is that there are articles, magazines, and web pages that are exist solely to help Baby Boomers deal with and manage “Millennials” – recent college graduates considered to be part of generation X and Y.

By reading these articles, I’ve learned a few things about us.

1. We need to be praised just for coming to work.
2. We’re know-it-alls
3. We don’t know the importance of hard work
4. We have no morals

If you’re reading this blog, you don’t fit this stereotype. But you should be aware how you’re initially perceived.

This is the first post in a series about recognizing and overcoming the age bias.

A Business Casual dress code means something different everywhere. At my company it means no t-shirts and no jeans. That leaves me too much wiggle room. My woody woodpecker pajamas are not jeans, and my “Don’t Tase Me Bro” sweatshirt is long sleeved. Technically, I could wear them both to work.





















I resist the temptation. So should you.

What you don’t want to do is show up to a Business Casual environment decked out in a well tailored suit and tie. That would make you a douchebag.

Here are some tips that will help you dress well, without making it look like you’re trying too hard.

1. Solid colored Oxfords (button up dress shirts) only. Stripes make you look 12.

2. I’m assuming since you’re reading this, you’re not good at dressing yourself. You can wear any color shirt with black slacks, with the exception of brown. Don't mix brown and black.

3. Make sure shoes and belt are the same color. Socks too.

4. Brands don’t matter. If they did, you wouldn’t be reading this blog for advice. Kohls has good work brands at affordable prices. Check out Apt 9 and aXcess at Kohls.

5. If you have a small waist, buy shirts labeled as “fitted” or “athletic fit”. This will prevent you from looking like Jared the Subway guy, with his long flowery blooming shirts.

6. To mix things up, layer a v-neck Argyle sweater over an oxford. Again, so there’s no guess work, buy a black argyle sweater and put a white oxford underneath it. This is the exception to the solid colored shirt rule. You can wear a white shirt with small dark blue or black stripes, but no patterns.

7. No short sleeve button up shirts. You’re the copy machine repair man when you wear those.

8. Dress slightly better than your co-workers on casual Fridays. Buy a pair of brown oxford style shoes (google Steve Maddens if you're not sure what I mean) to wear with Khakis or Jeans.

These tips will help you get started, slacker. More to come on Overcoming Age Bias.