Page 173 - The New Articulate Executive_ Look, Act and Sound Like a Leader

164 DELIVERY

WHAT MEN SHOULD WEAR

In general, men would be safe wearing:

◆ Better-quality business suits, dark blues or shades of gray.
◆ White dress shirts, preferably without the button-down collar (a
plain collar is more elegant). White is a universal fashion stan-
dard and offends almost no one. It’s even OK to wear on TV—
though for years white shirts tended to “flare” and “ghost” on

TV screens. Today the technology is so advanced that white is
all right. White also defines good skin color contrast—espe-

cially in those wan winter months when many of us who hap-
pen to be Caucasian tend to lose that healthy outdoor glow. An
alternative is pale blue, with or without pinstripes.
◆ Dark knee-length sheer socks in blue or black (you don’t want
those pasty, hairy calves poking out at the audience while
you’re waiting on a panel for your turn to speak; nor do you
want those calves showing when you cross your legs in a TV
interview).
◆ Black shoes only, please, for blue, pinstripe, or dark gray suits.
Brown shoes go better with brown suits, lighter grays, and
pastels. And while you’re at it, make sure your shoes are well
shined and appropriate. In most occasions, lace-up business
shoes are better than loafers, for example. Scuffed, obviously
cheap shoes may give some people an excuse to form an early,
and perhaps unfair, opinion that you might not be able to
shake—no matter what you say or how well you think
you speak.
◆ Conservative tie—small polka dots, solid color, or regiment
stripe. Styles come and go, but these old standbys seem to go
on forever. They look smart and keep distractions to a mini-
mum. For years, consultants like myself have been advising cli-
ent to wear bright red ties, a bolt of color, which draws the
audience’s attention right to the face and spotlights the speaker.
You can see our political clients almost every day on TV fol-