While London bankers are ditching their pinstripes and going to work in tee shirts and jeans in order to escape the ire of passers-by fed up with the recession, many other men in Europe, the United States, Canada and India are buying suits and ties for work. Casual Fridays are becoming extinct. At recent job fairs hopeful applicants dressed themselves in their best interview clothes and lined up at dawn; the Boston Globe reported that job search consultant Jason Katsohis sees fewer men coming into his office dressed in casual clothes and finds that most are more willing to wear a suit for work than they were in the past.
Looking Your Best At Work
Men like Canadian Adam Conn, 22, are learning the lesson that working women had to. Looking your best at work offers a greater chance of getting and keeping a job. It confers an image of professionalism and credibility. On landing his first job, Conn, told the Globe and Mail that he bought three suits for $1500 and explained, "With the economy, my job doesn't feel as safe as it probably would have a couple of years ago and I want to step up my game in every aspect, whether it's working harder, putting in the extra hours, being more productive but also looking as good as I can."
Growth In Career Clothes Sales
Younger men like him are driving the growth in career clothes sales. There's been a jump of 12 percent over last year. Katina LeKerr of ebow.com, however, credits President Obama as popularizing the suit, saying "He's setting a new trend in business fashion. The suit is making a triumphant return, in a modern way, thanks to him."
Frugal And Prone To Haggle
Menswear retailers are taking note and thanking their lucky stars that there appears to be a silver lining in the recession. However, they do have to make concessions to accommodate it. Many are trimming prices and finding that today's male shoppers are frugal and prone to haggle. Store owner Tom Mihailik explains, "We'll come down in price. At one time I had a certain price in my mind for a garment. Now if the guy offers me $50 less or wants me to throw in a tie, I wouldn't say no." Even Wal-Mart appears to have lowered the price of its dress shirts and, on Saturdays, the tie rack is one of the busiest sections in many stores.
Tailored Clothes With Expensive Finishes
To fit in with the needs of the times, retailers are stocking up on mid range lines of tailored clothes with expensive finishes and the same cut as that seen on the catwalk or in magazines. Men are working out and are fit enough to wear the slimmer fitting, narrow shouldered, tailoring. Retailers are advertising suits and moving them to the front of the department or store. Once popular casual wear is relegated to the back. It's sad to see it there because it whispers of happier times.
Tough To Sell To Men
All this activity seems strange to any woman who has ever tried to make the man in her life buy a suit. It's usually tough to sell to men because they don't like to shop. Now, with the job loss at a new and awful high , they do it willingly and know what they want. Will this situation continue when the employment climate improves or will they be back in jeans like London bankers?
 |
