Graduate style: how much does your suit really matter when starting out as the new guy in the corporate world? If the adage “first impressions are the last impressions” still carries weight in modern times, then your corporate style – from day one – needs to be on point.
Why? Looking good at works means you can be trusted to represent the firm well on the outside. And you’ll more likely build rapport within the day-to-day runnings of the glassy-walled firm because you’ll be more confident in your appearance, even leading to the chance of promotion.
Even ancient academics knew the sartorial worth of the well-dressed. Herbert Harold Vreeland couldn’t have put it better: “Clothes don’t make a man, but clothes have got many a man a good job.”
So, young chap, a sharp office look does give you a stylish step-up in the corporate jungle. Here are five office pieces that every businessman should own. And how to work them, like a negotiator, from the get-go.
The Suit
A tailored two-piece suit is the foundation of your corporate office look. For the more traditional workplaces, stick to a navy, black or charcoal single-breast suit with a streamline notch lapel. Venture into light grey, dark brown, or a subtle check jacquard (not windowpane, too casual), if feeling adventurous. And a soft pinstripe (never chalk stripe) is a nice finish also.
While a bespoke or made-to-measure suit is always best (giving you a glove-like fit not possible off-the-rack) shopping from a reputable suit store – and then getting alterations as required, is a solid secondary option for newly-salaried graduate who can’t afford something custom made – just yet. As a guide, the suit should broaden your shoulders and cinch in at the waist, oozing confidence and impeccable attention to detail.
For suit fabrics, look to pure wools and cotton blends (depending on your budget); the polyester content increasing as the price lowers. All sized up, invest in two or three solid suits, having them readily available for workplace rotation. Then, look after them well, which means doing less. Only dry clean a suit every two-three months due to the chemicals typically used, spot cleaning any blemishes in between.
The Shirt
A button up shirt in a crisp cotton fabric is your next point of call. While white is the fallback colour of choice, splashing around with pastels gives you a step up. For a tonal look, with a navy suit, a pale blue shirt is business-style savvy. A faint pink, green or lilac hue is a subtle hint for sweeter palettes, avoiding oranges and yellow, which tend to offend more corporate firms.
For an easy yet stylish tie-and-shirt combination, button-up patterns should be kept to a minimum – lean stripes and fine checks only, using discretion with butcher stripes or gingham checks, which may be too casual. Instead of prints, you can opt for texture to create visual interest, via a herringbone fabric or cotton poplin.
Finally, the shirt collar is very important: the cutaway for a more traditional formality; straight point for something contemporary and the tab collar for the bespoke taste. A great all rounder is the button-down, particularly well-suited forday-to-night dressing and casual Fridays.
The Tie
“A well-tied tie is the first serious step in life,” wrote poet and dandy, Oscar Wilde. Stepping into your first big boy job, selecting a tie that is both stylish, functional and office appropriate is vital. For the city office worker this involves mild colour, offsetting the muted, somber tones of a navy suit and white collared shirt combination.
Silk business ties are great, opting for traditional prints such as dogtooth or tile, or something more polkadots or a thick stripe. Again, texture may be your preferred option too. Grenadine ties – woven from a high-twist silk yarn to create a fine knitted look – are a nice way to add depth to a neutral tie colour.
Finally, silk knit and flannel ties are having a moment, creating a strong textural look over flat cotton shirt. Cap the look off with a silver tie bar.
Pocket Square
Like the tie, a pocket square will awaken tailoring from its slumber. The pocket square is reactionary to the tie, opting for a complementary or contrast tie-and-square colour combination, depending on your taste. Our complete guide to colour matching will refresh your memory.
As a rule, let the pocket square do the sartorial talking. Due to the pocket square’s more demure positioning, geometric, floral or some sort of mosaic print will liven up a boring suit look, without the need for a garishly patterned tie. Finally, the either-or rule will keep you in the boss’s good books, coordinate your accessories, without matching exactly.
For example, a hint of burgundy in your pocket square’s print or pattern will team well with a burgundy tie.
The Shoe
Shoes are where your personal office style can shine, literally. A decent leather becomes the city slicker, and that means formal and refined, complementing all that hard work you put into tailoring. Key styles include oxfords, monk (single or double) strap and brogues, with a sturdy sole to pound that city pavement.
Keep the shoe leather black or dark brown for superior sophistication or something shady such as burgundy/oxblood. Consider tan as a fresh version of brown, which looks particularly stylish as a brogue with a Goodyear welt sole.
Finally, consider dress boot varieties of the aforementioned shoe types, ensuring the trouser break hits the top of the boot as it would a regular lace-up. And keep the sole neat and sleek, nothing with traction or hiking tread is necessary for the urban commute.
Picture a supercar. Now turn than Ferrari/Lamborghini/Bugatti/whatever into a watch. That’s HYT. You’re already aware that timepieces are miniature feats of engineering, but HYT is taking it to another level by producing watches powered by liquid. They call it “hydro-mechanical” watchmaking, and so far have created 3 watches using their innovative hybrid technology. HYT is no slouch in the design department either. A bold, futuristic aesthetic runs consistently throughout the collection to complement the cutting edge tech.
Maximilian Büsser worked his way through the horological ranks before striking out on his own to form MB&F. With free rein to go as far as his creativity can take him, Büsser pushes the limits of watchmaking aided by some of the biggest talent in the biz. MB&F calls their timepieces “horological machines” rather than “watches” because, although they do tell time, timekeeping takes a backseat to art and engineering. As collector’s pieces, these instruments are unparalleled.
In 2002, when David Zanetta and Denis Flageollet teamed up to found De Bethune, nothing was off limits. Extreme chronometric craftsmanship was the goal, and the company meets and exceeds it with each new release. De Bethune is above all a research and development lab that marries state-of-the-art technologies with exceptional artistry. They even called one release “an authentic wrist sculpture,” which ceases to seem like hyperbole the second you take a stroll through their back catalogue.
After 14 years of developing complications for Patek Philippe, Roger Dubuis founded his own atelier. He was joined by Carlos Dias, a designer for Franck Muller, and together they are responsible for some of the most visually stunning watches around. Aside from their good looks, RD’s timepieces carry the Poinçon de Genève, the quality seal of the Watchmaking School of Geneva, and have received chronometer certificates. Be warned: all that comes at a high price. Some watches from Roger Dubuis clock in at over USD $1 million!
A marriage of artistry and technology, timepieces from Jacob & Co. are marvels of mechanical Swiss engineering and expressions of an avant-garde vision of horology. The hallmark of Jacob Arbo’s watches is their use of rare set stones, which leave absolutely no doubt that you’re dealing with a luxury brand. Jacob & Co. deftly strikes a balance between jewellery, watchmaking and technological innovation to deliver boundary-challenging timepieces.
NOMOS Glashütte is a small independent watchmaker located in a tiny German town that specializes in manual-winding and automatic mechanical watches. The company was founded in January 1990, two months after the fall of the Berlin Wall, by Roland Schwertner. In its early years, NOMOS Glashütte focused on manufacturing mechanical watches with hand-wound, Swiss-made movements, but since 2005, NOMOS has been designing and producing its watch movements in-house (which is almost unheard of at this price point). These timepieces are steeped in watchmaking tradition, so though they may not be expensive, they are certainly rich in heritage and elegance.
MeisterSinger is a name that’s still unknown outside of hardcore watch-loving circles, but its unique brand philosophy is one that deserves your attention. What makes MeisterSinger stand out? Its watches, of course, which have only one hand. While other brands are adding complex complications to make their timepieces cool, MeisterSinger is stripping them back to basics.
Passion, detail and craftsmanship are all of utmost importance to Van Der Gang. The small, high-end Dutch watch brand is located in the historic town of Dokkum, in the north of The Netherlands, where it builds parts at a microscopic level used in spaceflight and medical facilities.
In April of 1861, Erhard Junghans created a company with his brother-in-law. By 1903, that company had become the largest watch and clock factory in the world. These days, Junghans produces timepieces that blend tradition with modernity and outstanding manufacturing quality.
Johnny Ramli’s jewellery is handmade from materials like oxidized silver, copper, gold, bone, horn and precious stones. The pieces combine rock ‘n’ roll charm with rustic metalwork and the designer’s signature religious imagery, sitting comfortably at the intersection between spiritual influences, Asian design and Western fashion. Johnny Ramli’s statement-making jewellery can be found online and in 12 countries around the world, including America, Japan, Israel, Italy, the UK and France.
Ugo Cacciatori started out designing women’s clothing in the late 90s, but ventured into jewellery in 2001 and has never looked back. By 2003, his pieces could be found for sale at Harvey Nichols in London, Barneys in New York and Antonia Antonioli in Milan. Ugo Cacciatori’s silver creations are romantic and adventurous, full of skulls, stones and shells, like something that came from a dreamy fantasy world. Gents like Karl Lagerfeld, Jay Z and Keith Richards are fans.
The Rebel At Heart collection from Thomas Sabo is designed for both the renegade and the dandy. Any man who prefers accessories that are confident, cutting-edge and full of attitude will find something to love about Rebel At Heart. The collection’s signature piece is the enigmatic skull mask, with its elaborately designed cut-out look and black pavé Zirconia. In addition to the assortment of skulls, the range incorporates leather, obsidian, silver, rosary-style beads, dragons and crosses.
Luis Morais’ jewellery-making career began in 1998 in Miami Beach, when he saw a bracelet he liked in a magazine and made his own DIY version. More than a decade later, the brand still carries that spirit in its unique and locally handmade pieces. Morais’ casual rock ‘n’ roll vibe means plenty of skulls and crosses, but they’re always accompanied by chic touches of gold, diamonds, gems and crocodile skin or bright pops of colour. Some even feature recycled vinyl from old records.
A single bracelet started it all. That one bracelet, created in Miami in 2008, spawned Miansai, and more than five years later, founder and creative director Michael Saiger has turned his vision into a timeless and tasteful jewellery brand. Over 30 skilled craftsmen and artisans use fine metals and exotic skins to craft Miansai’s pieces, which range from necklaces to bracelets to belts and often feature anchors or fish hooks.
Le Gramme borrows its name from the universal measure of unit. The jewellery is contemporary, minimalist and masculine, with clean lines and no details except for small, unobtrusive engravings. Each bracelet is made from recycled silver and named after its density: Le 7g, Le 15g, Le 21g, Le 27g, Le 33g and Le 41g. The collection comes in 3 sizes / 6 widths / 6 basis weights, so you can mix and match to create a personalised statement.
