Men need to be told how to dress. We dress, as Kenneth Cole told us, "as soldiers"; a uniform (navy blue suit) was what a man was expected to own and show up for in the sales call.



Well, the sales calls are still happening, but what has taken hold is the casual work wardrobe, which began with Casual Friday and has festered into Casual Week! Whoa! Hold on to your microfibers! Now, there's no uniform and all bets are off!things have changed



What now constitutes the work wardrobe? Men, who typically went to their closet during the week and pulled out the dark suit/white shirt, and slipped into their favorite chinos bailey button uggs for the backyard barbecue on the weekend, now have to integrate the two; build a bridge between his super 150's wool suits and the nowrinkle Dockers and frankly, they are not doing a very good job of it. Even women are a little stunned as to how to pull this off and still look professional.



Please, sit back and relax; after reading this, you will walk into any office scenario crisp, confident, and looking like you know what time it is.



There are new, young, hot dotcom dynamos flexing their egos and bank accounts and rewriting the rules of comfort and appearance, ugg bailey button boots but a little decorum is in order. If you are investing in new economy fabrics such as microfiber (a derivative of your father's polyester, albeit spun and woven with a lighter hand), then you will look your best freshly pressed.



Buddy up to your dry cleaner; they provide a service we all too often take for granted. Invest in a couple of totally business casual outfits; it's best not to try and retrofit that navy pinstripe suit into a casual look. Sports jackets, both solid and patterned, will easily allow you to layer a cotton cashmere mock turtleneck or polo collar underneath and enable you to arrive looking crisp and professional. the jacketThink dark; old economy rules apply here. Dark portrays power, so look for charcoal gray or navy. Black is elegant and timeless and looks best in a natural fabric, such as tropical weight wool. This fabric is still king when it comes to resiliency; it will snap back into place quicker than a junior exec caught napping at the boss' desk.



Twobutton, threebutton, no vent, centervent, side vents, are all bells and whistles best left up to your own personal style, with all of the above being correct. Stay away from the too trendy four or fivebutton jackets, unless you are 6'8" and possess a deadly jump shot.