Intro
This guide is written for my colleagues in the Acupuncture profession but you can apply these tips universally to any profession where looking professional is important. To start, I’m going to focus on the basics. Most of my advice is geared towards men since we seem to need the most help in putting together a professional look.

 

 

So why is looking professional important? Just like the white coat that we wear in the clinic, how we look tells a lot about who we are. Looking professional shows that we are serious about what we do, that we are professionals, and that we take time to look good for ourselves and for our patients.

 

Looking professional can mean different things to different people. Being in the field of holistic medicine, we have a lot more leeway in how we define professionalism than, say, western medical doctors. Part of it will depend on your personality and style. Another part of it will depend on the demographics of the people you are treating/targeting. Some of you may want to wear clothes that are eastern-inspired, yet still elegant and professional. Others may want stick to standard Western business attire.

Know Your Size
It doesn’t matter how beautiful or well put together your clothes are if they don’t fit properly. Unless you get your clothes tailor made, chances are that you are buying mass produced clothing made in standard sizes (also known as ready to wear clothing.) Know your measurements and clothing sizes before you go shopping. Otherwise you will be wasting your time and money.

The best way to start is to go to your nearest clothing store that sells dress clothes. If you live near a Nordstroms, I suggest going there. They have great customer service and a no pressure sales staff. You don’t have to buy anything. Just go to their dress clothes department and ask to get measured. If they are experienced, they should be able to guess your size pretty closely just by looking at you. They’ll break out the tape measure to measure your neck, sleeve, shoulder, chest, back, waist, inseam, etc. While there, try on some clothes and see what fits or not. Each brand may fit differently even if the size is the same. Take your time, ask questions and get a good feel for how things actually fit on you. Don’t feel bad if you don’t buy anything. Just thank them before you take off.

Shirts
How do you know a shirt fits you?

• When you button up the collar, your index finger should be able to fit snugly between your collar and your neck.
• The shirt’s seams should meet at the shoulder.
• The chest should not feel too puffy or tight.
• The sleeves should cover your wrists and reach the beginning of your thumbs.
• The cuffs should be snug enough so they don’t slip down your wrists.

How to find your size? Men’s dress shirts are sold by neck size, sleeve length and fit. For example, 14.5- 33 means that the shirt is for a neck size of 14.5 inches with a sleeve length of either 32 or 33 inches. Because it is for 2 different arm lengths, the shirt will have two buttons on the (adjustable) cuffs – the tighter cuff if you are 32 length and the looser cuff if you are 33 length. Fit wise there’s regular fit (assume this if it is not specified), slim/modern/urban fit (if you are thin) and relaxed/loose fit (if you have pudge). Not all shirts will have all the different fits. Also, shoulder widths will vary between brands. It is best to try them on and stick with the brands you know fit you well.

 

Dress shirts may also be sold by the more general small, medium and large. Usually the manufacturer will offer a table that shows the measure ranges for the different sizes. However, I don’t recommend buying dress shirts this way as they are less exact.

 

Trousers
How do you know if a pair of trousers fit? Traditional trousers should come up to your navel and rest snugly on your hips. Unfortunately, most pants sold these days are low rise, meaning they are meant to fit below the hips with a rise (distance between crotch and waist) of 8” or less. This is compared to the traditional 12” rise. Either way, you don’t want the waist too loose such that you require a belt to keep them up. You should wear a belt anyway but the pants should be able to stay up on their own.

Length wise, always try trousers with shoes on. The pant legs should not be so long as they drag on the ground. Nor should they be too short as to show your socks when you walk. When in doubt, go for the longer pair and take it to a tailor to get hemmed to the right length. Most dress trousers are sold unhemmed so they can accommodate a wide range of lengths.

How to find your size. Trousers are sold by waist, inseam, fit and rise. For example 30/32 means a 30 waist and a 32 inseam. The rise on most modern trousers are low-rise so they don’t rest on your hips but below them. There are a variety of fits. I recommend going with straight leg for a classic fit and silhouette. Personally I also like boot cut trousers because they are more flowy (personal style choice) and have wider leg openings to accommodate boots. I suggest staying away from skinny fit or baggy as they do not look appropriate for business.

Next up: Part 2 – Jackets and Shoes

Author’s note: I would like to acknowledge Alejandro Morales Jr for his contributions to this series of articles. Thanks Alejandro!