Every new generation brings us changes in values, lifestyles, traditions, customs, manners and dress and it is important for all PR practitioners to be fully aware of all of the changes. Proper dress is especially important when meeting and working with an advising client.
On a cruise this summer I noted a major change in how male passengers were attired for dinner. Before the pandemic I took cruises annually and on any cruise of seven days or longer, generally men dressed for two dinner nights in a tuxedo or more commonly called black-tie. Dress for other evenings was suit and tie.
On this cruise I was introduced to what was called “Country Club Casual” but no country club I had ever been to would have allowed men to have dinner in a short sleeve shirt and no jacket. For “Country Club Casual” I considered a blazer without tie to be appropriate.
Washington, D.C. is still very much a suit-and-tie town and many dress in dark pinstripe suits
Watching events on TV confirms there has been no change in how members of Congress and all meeting or testifying before Congress are dressed. The only exception is Jim Jordan (ROhio) who doesn’t wear a jacket and is in shirtsleeves. I guess he needs to make some kind of statement. Suit-and-tie also continues to be appropriate for Wall Street and Madison Avenue. From 2003-2006 the owner of Innovative Communication Corp. where I was vice president public relations had a suit-and-tie policy. Our operations were throughout the Caribbean and Central America and walking through a hotel lobby I often was mistaken for management.
When I first began flying in 1951 most men wore suits and ties. This continued for years and some men began wearing blazers and later no ties. Contrast that with some passengers today wearing tank tops, shorts and sandals and you hope if you are sitting near a person so dressed that they are wearing socks. I remember a time when young men always wore a jacket and tie to classes at a number of colleges and prep-schools. Two of my favorite restaurants, Ernie’s in San Francisco and 21 in New York, had dress codes that required a jacket and tie. They always kept ties and jackets on hand to lend to diners who arrived not knowing the required dress. Both were internationally renowned and closed rather than change their dress code.
A suit and tie are not always appropriate In PR—it is always important to dress for the occasion
In the 1970s Sunkist was a client, and when Jay Bell, VP-PR and I had meetings with grower-farmers we would always wear a sports jacket, slacks, open shirt and no tie. We believed dressing down made it easier to communicate. Many college football and basketball coaches will dress down when they are meeting with parents of players they are recruiting not to make anyone feel uncomfortable.
A friend of mine, who was an executive with a large East Coast agency, was tasked to meet with a few sports executives in Los Angeles. He was told by the agency’s L.A. office that L.A. is a dress-down town for sports executives, so instead of wearing a business suit, he arrived dressed in a sports jacket, slacks, sport shirt and no tie. When he entered the meeting room, he was the only person not dressed in a suit or business appropriate dress.
Hawai’i was probably the first to break with tradition when Aloha Friday officially began in 1966. Young businessmen replaced the business wear favored by previous generations with colorful shirts. Business casual dress spread to the U.S.in the 1980s in Silicone Valley, California and became mainstream in the 1980s. It was first a casual Friday and now is daily.
Hollywood is most prevalent requiring black-tie for many events
Once even the television crews producing the Oscar and Emmy awards programs were required to dress in black tie. Times have changed and dress codes relaxed as is obvious from what is worn by some nominees and presenters. Some invitations today list “black-tie optional” or “tuxedo optional.”
Years ago I attended a fabulous black-tie invitation-only garage sale hosted by Carol Burnett that was complete with champagne, an elaborate dinner and hilarious auctioneers that included Tim Conway and Harvey Korman. In the 1980s I was invited to dinner in Hunt Country Virginia and my host told me “we dress for dinner” and that meant black-tie.
A tuxedo with a white jacket is considered appropriate for black-tie attire only in warm weather climates such as the Caribbean or South and during the Summer season. Traditionally, white was worn in place of a traditional black to deflect heat. This made it the perfect alternative for black-tie events that were held in the afternoon during the Summer or at sea. Once it was not considered appropriate at any time in Hollywood.
The ultimate in men’s dress is a morning suit and white tie and tails. Royal weddings and some evening weddings will require a morning suit dress coat, waistcoat and grey or grey-and-black striped trousers, white shirt, black socks and black shoes. White-tie is the more formal evening wear version of black-tie and generally is for state or formal dinners, the opera and special events held by some organizations. Morning dress is only worn to formal daytime events starting before 6 p.m. and white-tie after 6 p.m. The last time I wore white-tie was also with a ceremonial robe and at an event of the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem Knights Hospitaller.
Once when an invitation read “Formal” It meant white tie and tails. An invitation with “Informal” meant black-tie. It has been years since I have seen or heard “Formal” and “Informal” used in reference to dress. It has disappeared on invitations just as has RSVP because most recipients have no idea what it means.
When I was a PR practitioner, it was then standard practice for a person to wear a suit, dress shirt and tie
Like so many other things, over the years, the dress codes at many PR agencies have changed. First came dress down Friday; then ties were no longer required, and eventually a suit and tie was required only for client meetings and new business presentations. In order to advance at an agency, it is necessary to be noticed by top management. The easiest way to do so is by dressing professionally. Wearing a suit, dress shirt and tie each day is certain to catch the eye of top management. While dressing professionally will not assure you of advancement, it might just give you a shot to show management what you can do.
Lesson for PR people: It’s always best to dress conservatively and appropriately.
