He's right.

Right on Ben!!!

 

Stein dresses semi-trad, a realy devotion to the button down collar.

His footwear choices are odd though. . .

 

Haha, I saw that this morning and definately did a double take. Nice press (no pun intended, eh?) for the stores.

 

I bumped into him once ...

... in my old office; we literally ran into each other in the hallway. Tweed and repp tie -- and tennis shoes.

I just assumed his feet were aching.

Talented man. And prolific.

 

I recall seeing him regularly wear pink shirts with green ties.

 

Uh-oh, Ben let the cat out of the bag

Brian

 

"I was at the US Airways Club at LaGuardia airport a few days ago, and almost all the men there were in suits and ties. Almost all the women were in suits or dresses. They projected a sense of confidence and capability. You can have the same thing after just one visit to Brooks Brothers or J.Press. Don't let the opportunity pass you by -- human beings make decisions with their eyes. Be on the right side of it."

I never see ANYTHING like this. I went to the wonderful (and elegant little jewel-box) Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta's second dressiest restaurant last Saturday night. It has an older and rather conservative old-South, old-money clientele, many of whom belong to the Piedmont Driving Club, Atlanta's most exclusive country club. That group has largely "adopted" this restaurant, because the chef's father was a member and a very fine physician from a long-time prominent Atlanta family.
Nevertheless, I was the only man present in a suit and TIE. About 1/2 wore coats and no ties, the rest just shirts, and no coats. Every day I thank God that I am not in the neckwear business.

 

To be sure ...

^ ... Ben embellishes a little.

Also, at Eugene: Is it possible that Atlanta's Delhi-like summers dictate some of the more biz-casual dress? I say this as someone who lived his childhood in the Atlanta suburbs, and my distinct memory is that I spent July and August praying for my dad to get transferred back to Greenland.

 

US Airways lounge at LGA is definitely that type of place as it serves the NY-DC corridor (Boston, too, maybe? I know the Delta Marine Air Terminal does, but unsure about US Airways): annd thus has TONS of business traffic. Very easy to work in one of those cities and make a day trip to a client or meeting in another (you might also throw in the NYC-Chicago Delta shuttle there, but perhaps less so). Suits are far from dead in the client relations or sales lines of business.

As for Ben Stein, aside from "Bueller?" "Bueller?", he also plays an economics teacher in a great scene at the very preppy school of Richie Rich. Perfectly suited for it (yes, I just realized that's a double entendre...)!

 

"Beuller? Bueller? Bueller?"

 

Speaking of airlines, isn't it interesting many of the airline and hotel uniforms look more like businesswear than what most office workers wear. Who would want to check into a hotel or board a plane if the employees were dressed in sloppy "business casual?" I can see Stein's point only too clearly.

 

Dressing in suits and ties is a service thing. We expect it among doormen, security guards, wait staff, and gate agents at the airport. Many prefer a more "relaxed, comfortable" look in their own jobs. Most of my corporate clients wear golf shirts and khakis. Not a jacket in sight, except on me -- and sometimes I seem out of place, foppish, inappropriate.

 

Dressing in suits and ties is a service thing.

I think this nails it right on the head, maybe this is why I feel I need to look my best at work because I know I am providig a service for others, if only most of us remembered this (as in the general population, most of us in this forum realize the need to dress our best!!)

 

Dressing in suits and ties is a service thing. We expect it among doormen, security guards, wait staff, and gate agents at the airport.

I vehemently disagree sir, and am awfully sorry you feel foppish.

Mind you, Prince Charles looks quite "relaxed, comfortable" shoveling horse crap in a suit.

 

^ Oh, not really. It's just that my clients in one instance have said, hey guy, leave the jacket at home -- we're relaxed around here. They perceive my preferred attire as uptight.

So, being in the service business, I leave the jacket at the hotel.

 

Dressing in suits and ties is a service thing. .

Funny-40+ years ago when I was a teller in a local Savings & Loan Assn., we wore suits with white shirts and ties. It was stressed that we were handling other people's money and they deserved the respect of those to whom their funds were entrusted.

Not to say that the debacle of the financial industry would have been averted had there never been business casual, but I have insisted for almost 25 years that there is a direct relationship between work ethic and attire.

Thanks for letting me vent...

 

... in my old office; we literally ran into each other in the hallway. Tweed and repp tie -- and tennis shoes.

I just assumed his feet were aching.

Talented man. And prolific.

It may be that Ben is a diabetic? A friend of the family dresses nice and constantly wears Chuck Taylor's, recently found out he does this due to his medical condition. If he wore tight confining shoes he would further risk foot injury which could lead to the loss of a toe/foot/leg.

 

I heard a wonderful story about the late securities analyst Larry Wachtel from a former colleague of his. His firm had moved to a "business casual" dress code. Of course, most of the employees ended up dressing exceptionally poorly. After being teased about being "uptight" for wearing a suit and tie to work everyday, Mr. Wachtel firmly stated, "There is nothing casual about the business of managing other people's money." Of course, like Brooksfan, I'm not suggesting the global financial meltdown was caused by a move toward sloppy dressing. Still, I think it does reflect a mindset that would have been unthinkable two generations ago.

 

^ Now if we can just convince everyone else

 

"Dress Casual" or just "Dress Sloppy"

Ben Stein footwear choices likely are akin to Woody Allen's sneakers with Black Tie -- can't be "really creative" if you look like an accountant. But of course, if one walks or stands during the day, no dress shoe is really suitable. Even in a pair of Allen-Edmonds, I can make it from club to theatre but really no more.

On the tie question, I notice new wording that welcomes jackets/ties at all times in all areas. Now if they would only throw out the little geniuses lounging around the library in their flip-flops... I know, the little toes get SO HOT!

 

Speaking of airlines, isn't it interesting many of the airline and hotel uniforms look more like businesswear than what most office workers wear. Who would want to check into a hotel or board a plane if the employees were dressed in sloppy "business casual?" I can see Stein's point only too clearly.

Delta's uniforms are horrendous and come complete with clip-on polyester ties.

 

Delta's uniforms are horrendous and come complete with clip-on polyester ties.

It makes sense that Delta uniforms are horrendous, becuase they are the worst airline out there. I live in Cincinnati, and they are my only choice for most destinations. I wish Southwest would come to Cincinnati!

 

It makes sense that Delta uniforms are horrendous, becuase they are the worst airline out there. I live in Cincinnati, and they are my only choice for most destinations. I wish Southwest would come to Cincinnati!

Living in Michigan, we were reliant on Northwest, which is now part of Delta. Northwest's uniforms were fairly bad too, but they weren't as bad as Delta.

 

I never see ANYTHING like this. I went to the wonderful (and elegant little jewel-box) Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta's second dressiest restaurant last Saturday night.

Where do you consider Atlanta's dressiest restaurant? Bones? La Grotta?

Personally, I always wear at least a sportcoat and tie to places like this. While I have nothing against the members of PDC, I can't bring myself to go to Restaurant Eugene because of their association with Holeman & Finch, the House of Souse.

Whenever I see someone in flip-flops, I think "isn't it sad that those boys can't afford to buy shoes."