Finding what works isn

As with most things in life, practice makes perfect in the realm of knowing how to dress. Even if you don’t need to wear business clothes in the foreseeable future, get a head start now. Start shopping for the clothes you will need. Start dressing up. This way you’ll get comfortable wearing business clothes and you’ll have a better understanding of how things go together.

For most of my life I didn’t need to dress up. I was accustomed to wearing loose fitting and flowy clothes like Hawaiian shirts and Thai fisherman pants. Yes I did have a lot of preppy clothes but they’re preppy, not business. The only times I really dressed up were for graduations, weddings, and funerals. And looking back on those photos I looked awful because I was clueless. Luckily most other people in the world are also clueless. Which means you’ll really standout when you get it right.

When I first started sporting dress shirts and ties on a regular basis, I felt like a fish out of water. I remember having trouble tying my tie. I bought shirts and trousers that didn’t fit well. I wore the wrong fabrics in the wrong seasons. My neck wasn’t used to having my shirts buttoned up all the way. Overall the outfits didn’t feel like they were my personal style.

By the time I got into the clinic I had most of the kinks ironed out: I had the dress clothes I wanted, I no longer felt awkward in what I wore, and I knew how to put together kickass outfits from head to toe.

There are a lot of nuances you simply won’t appreciate until you start getting it all together. You’ll overdo it and under do it until you find your balance. So get to it! Your future starts now.

Take care of your personal hygiene

Ok you’re looking sharp in that suit you just got altered to fit perfectly. Now let’s take a look at personal hygiene. Yes you brush your teeth and shower everyday. Good start but there’s more! Once again, it’s in the details.

It’s all good stuff not just for work but also for your personal life. Your significant other/better half/date will really appreciate it. Your body will appreciate it too. Take care of your body and it’ll take care of you.

Here’s a checklist of things you should be mindful of.

Shave:
If you have a mustache/goatee/beard, be sure to keep it trim and neat. Otherwise keep it clean and shave! You don’t want to look like you just rolled out of bed. That five o’clock shadow is also going to tear up the collars of your shirts.

Hair Care:
Whether you have short or long hair, you need to have it cut on a regular basis. If you’re waiting until you look like Shaggy from Scooby Doo you’re waiting too long. Cutting your hair isn’t just about keeping it trimmed. As hair gets old, it starts to dry at the ends, split, and get fizzy. Cutting off the old hair will make it look healthier and allow it to grow.

Be proactive and keep you hair looking good all the time by getting it trimmed before it starts to get wild. Short hair should be cut every 3-4 weeks. You can go a bit longer with long hair but, again, watch the split ends.

Wash your hair regularly and use a real shampoo. Soaps tend to dry out your hair. I recommend organic shampoos that are free of harmful chemicals like sodium lauryl sulfate, a possible carcinogen. Trader Joes has a couple of shampoos that are affordable yet free of these chemicals.

Use a styling gel, pomade, etc to keep your hair tamed and styled throughout the day.

Deodorant:
Use deodorant to keep body odor under control. But avoid antiperspirants that prevent you from sweating. Sweating is a normal bodily function. It helps regulate the body temperature due to heat, exercise and stress. Antiperspirants contain a toxic aluminum based compound that pose serious health risks including Alzheimer’s and breast cancer. Deodorants, on the other hand, only take the odor away by killing the bacteria that causes it. I’ve personally been using the natural mineral crystals for years and it works great. Check out www.thecrystal.com

Clean clothes:
Wash your clothes regularly and iron them before wearing. Shirts should only be worn once before washing. Pants can be worn several times. This varies depending on how dirty they get.

Have a stain removal pen handy to keep stains from setting in before you have a chance to take care of it. It will save you from buying new clothes or wearing ones with stains on them. I personally like the Tide to Go Instant Stain Remover pen.

When you clean your clothes, follow the care instructions on the label. It’ll extend the life of your clothes and keep them looking great. Separate your lights and darks so you don’t have that new red t-shirt turn your white dress shirt pink. I tend to add an extra rinse cycle to my loads. One rinse isn’t enough to get all the detergent and dirty water out. It also prevents your white shirts from turning gray too quickly.

Don’t over dry your clothes as it will shorten their lifespan and generate more wrinkles. Take them out while they’re still a tad damp. And definitely never leave clothes in the dryer longer than they have to. If you have the option, hang them up to air dry. It’s more environmentally friendly, energy efficient and it’ll save you money.

If you do need to get clothes dry cleaned, make sure to go to a place that doesn’t use the common dry cleaning agent perchloroethylene (aka perc or PCE). It is a central nervous system depressant and a known carcinogen. Inhaling its vapors can cause dizziness, headache, sleepiness, confusion, nausea, unconsciousness and death. If you don’t have a choice, be sure to remove the dry cleaning bag outside. Let your clothes air out for at least a day but preferably four to five days before wearing them.

Nose and Ears:
Trim those nose hairs and clear out your nostrils. Visible boogers aren’t very sexy. Wash your ears and clean them out regularly with a q-tip.

Skin Care:
If you have dry skin, use a moisturizer. There’s stuff for the body, stuff for hands, stuff for the face, stuff for around the eyes, etc. If you’re just starting out, go with something general purpose for the whole body. I have dry skin so I apply moisturizer immediately after I shower. I tend to use a lighter body oil during the warmer months and a heavier body butter during the colder months. I like the organic stuff with a subtle natural scent. You’ll smell nice without having to use colognes/perfumes that are often carcinogenic. And if you do use fragrances go subtle. Less is more and some people have allergies.

Check out the skin care section of local Whole Foods. They usually have a bunch of products you can sample to figure out what you want.

Also, check out the all natural products by Golden Path Alchemy. They use Chinese and Western medicinals and botanicals in their products. You’ll love it.

Wear clothes that fit

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.

This Daoist could probably use some fashion advice

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.

The beard needs a little work. Might be a clean needle technique hazard.

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!