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New Boss.... Take Fashion Cues from Above

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Should You Dress Like the CEO?

Employees Are Wise to Take Fashion Cues from Above, But Pitfalls Abound 

Repost of wsj.com



The new boss has arrived, bringing new ideas, quicker deadlines and something else for you to worry about—a new fashion style.

Sometimes the changes are subtle. Shirts may get brighter, suits slimmer, jewelry more elaborate. Employees who ignore the style shift may soon start to look out of place. Those who imitate it too closely risk Mini-Me comparisons.
 
David Kasnic for The Wall Street Journal (6); Brooklyn Nets (Yormark)
 
When Frank Bisignano took the CEO job at First Data Corp. in Atlanta in late April, he brought his Brooks Brothers suits and Hermès ties with him. It's too soon to know if he can turn around the unprofitable credit-card processor, but he seems to be upending its style. Mr. Bisignano wears formal business attire to work every day, and many employees who weren't previously dressing up are now, literally, following suit.

"You never know who you might be meeting with or where you might be called to," says Mr. Bisignano, a former executive at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc. in New York. He says he hasn't paid much attention to what employees are wearing because he is focused on making First Data profitable.

The former full-time CEO, Jon Judge, would sometimes wear a sport coat and open-collared shirt with no tie, says Chip Swearngan, a senior vice president at the company. Mr. Swearngan noticed the style shift earlier this month at a large internal meeting, where he saw he was one of only two men who weren't wearing ties. "I just looked around and thought, 'That's interesting to see,' " Mr. Swearngan said, adding he "didn't feel weird" about his own attire, a suit with an open-collared shirt, because he typically does wear a tie, even when traveling.

"You never have to apologize for dressing up," Mr. Swearngan says.

More people are navigating this tricky sartorial territory this year, as 23 S&;P 500 companies appointed a new chief executive in the first quarter alone—nearly triple the number that did so in the same period in 2012, according to executive-recruiting firm Spencer Stuart. Lower on the corporate ladder, a new manager in a department or regional office can set a new style standard on a smaller scale.
[image] David Kasnic for The Wall Street Journal
Tracy Sigler, the Brooklyn Nets' director of partnership marketing, says employees take cues from the CEO.
[image] First Data
Chip Swearngan, senior vice president at First Data Corp.
Conventional career wisdom holds that dressing like the boss helps advance one's career. But what if the boss is 6-foot-4 and you're 5-foot-6? What if she's lithe and slim and you are curvy? What if he lives in pin stripes and you are a khaki suit guy?

Dressing like the boss when it isn't really your style can make you look and feel uncomfortable. If your boss wears tailored clothes, and you aren't used to dressing that way, you could wear a mix of tailored and casual items, such as a vest or cardigan with a tie instead of a suit, said Lloyd Boston, contributor to the "Today" show and author of "The Style Checklist."

And while taking cues from the boss, it's important to maintain a distinct individual style. "That will set you apart in the boss's eyes from the obvious people who are pandering," Mr. Boston says. Mimic the boss's look too closely, though, and you "will instantly turn off those around you," he adds. The boss could even start to think you are a threat.

Jeff Scott, director of community relations for the Brooklyn Nets, says his CEO, Brett Yormark, is one of his style influences. "As far as the neatness, I dress like him," Mr. Scott says. "I use the word 'like' in the sense that everything is pressed and neat and polished." But whereas Mr. Yormark might wear a white shirt, Mr. Scott says he will often wear a yellow or pink one.

Mr. Yormark, who is CEO of both the Nets and Barclays Center, describes himself as "a bit of a meticulous dresser, someone who believes in looking right." He almost always wears a custom suit and tie at the office, and while he doesn't expect employees to dress exactly like him, he says is aware "they probably follow my lead."

At Wall Street firms, where suits are the norm for managers and underlings, boss style is all in the details. When he was starting out, Brian M. Robertson, a New York-based managing director with a global investment advisory firm, took note of the custom suits and shirts and expensive ties around him. "You do see your boss and senior guys looking good and being successful," he says. "That helps you want to strive to be like that."

He wore what he could afford at the time—off-the-rack suits and shirts. Now, he has upgraded to custom suits and shirts. "People are looking up to me," Mr. Robertson says. "You definitely want to set a good example in everything you do, including dressing and looking nice."

Clothes generally won't be the sole determining factor in whether a person moves up the corporate ladder. But it makes a difference. When an employee takes style direction from higher-ups, "the company looks at it as a sign of emotional intelligence," says Brandon Smith, adjunct instructor at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and founder of the Workplace Therapist blog.

Related: WSJ Work Wear

View Graphics
Click to see the Brooklyn Nets/Barclays Center office style                    
"The person is aware of their surroundings, aware of the image the company is trying to represent," he says. A manager may look at individuals who aren't sensitive to the style atmosphere and think, "They don't get it."

Tracey Lomrantz Lester, women's editorial director at online retailer Gilt, says it is important for her to "walk the walk." A former editor at Glamour magazine, she joined Gilt in February and says she comes to work every day "dressed in a way that reflects our brand."

Senior editor Amy Barton, one of two employees reporting to her, noticed how Ms. Lester would wear a blazer with more-formal skirts and dresses. She thought about the dress hanging in her own closet that she wore to weddings. "I threw a blazer over it and some heels, and I loved it," Ms. Barton says. "That's her influence. I wouldn't have done that before."

"I would like to think the aesthetic has been elevated a little," Ms. Lester says of her arrival. "I hope that some of that rubs off on the team."

Employees may feel they get a pass on style if they work in a creative field like fashion, marketing or advertising. Alison Brod, founder of a New York public relations company that represents beauty and fashion brands, laments how some employees show up to work with no makeup or ripped jeans. "And the shorts have gotten out of control," she says.

Early in her career, she recalls, she took cues from a boss who wore "chic little miniskirt suits and Manolos and Bulgari jewelry." "I spent every cent I had to replicate that look," she says. Today, she says she appreciates when employees follow her lead, but not too closely. "I don't shop in certain stores because I don't want to walk in in the same dress as half of the office."

Translating Boss Style

• If the boss is a 'suit only' person, invest in a custom suit, or one with high-quality fabrics. The boss can spot a cheap suit a mile away.
• If the boss is 'business casual,' err on the side of dressing things up. If the boss never wears khakis, jeans or polo shirts, neither should you.
• If the boss is dressed up and of the opposite sex, men should wear a suit or blazer and tie. Women should wear a business suit or jacket with a fitted feminine shape.
• If the boss has a style that clashes with yours, incorporate elements of the boss's style without losing your own. Accessories, jewelry or offbeat shoes or socks can reflect your personal style.
• If the boss has a different body type than yours, make sure your clothes fit well, no matter your size or height. Darker colors can be slimming and more flattering.

Source: Lynne Marks, president of London Image Institute; Lois Barth, business and lifestyle coach; Lloyd Boston, style consultant and author

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