The fall job fair is finally over here at Penn State, but something which I observed a lot during said day probably won’t be over for a while: ILL FITTING SUITS. Students might as well have been borrowing their dad’s cookie cutter boxy suit because the lack to attention to detail frightened me. If one cannot look properly presentable, how can a future employer think that you’re the right man for this position if, you can’t even tie a half Windsor knot properly.
Look here, feast your eyes onto Daniel Craig’s suit. I guarantee you none of the students at the Job Fair had a suit tailored just like that or a tie done properly. But achieving this image is not unattainable by any means, no, it simply takes a trip to a tailor and around 60 dollars for alterations. He or she will go over all the adjustments needed for that suit to fit you and no one else. A suit should enhance your frame, not undercut it or present yourself as visually sloppy. A good suit should fit like a glove, not overly tight or baggy, both common problems seen today.
Before one asks themselves whether it’s a throwaway of money onto invest a good amount of money into a suit, think about this. What exactly is a suit for? It is a formal dress for men, used to indicate respect for the formality of an event and to present oneself as properly as possible. An ill-fitting suit makes achieving that goal impossible. In fact, a suit with a terrible fit signal to your potential employers that you’re simply a kid trying to dress up and falling miserably, a kid trying to be an adult. Not a good look.
Now, apart from the visual aspects of a clean-cut suit, comes the mental game of owning one and wearing it with pride. If one knows he looks good, he will act in that manner too. Simple psychology. If instead of wearing a cheap suit you got for one hundred dollars at some discount store you were, perhaps, something worth four hundred dollars but that fits you properly, your confidence will be boosted exponentially. All the more reason to invest, not just on clothing, but on your future.
Our clothing should represent our individuality. Our clothing should embody a representation of who we are as individuals. A suit should be worn, the suit shouldn’t wear you.