Originally Posted by
SFflyer123
But there is also a point N965VJ made. If you show up in a blazer and a dress shirt, they tend to give you more respect. If you show up with a backpack, sweatshirt and jeans, people may not. I saw on a travel show where the guy said, "I always travel with a blazer." It definitely makes you look more credible, even if you're off to hawaii on vacation. However, if you're a woman, then it may be different.
Agreed. Dress makes a big difference in how you are treated.
The one exception to this is in computers--casual dress in a context where you would expect professional dress marks you as a guy who actually works with the machines as opposed to a manager but doesn't get the brush-off that would otherwise likely follow from not dressing to standard.
Jeans and a T-shirt have always worked fine for me at things like Comdex except for the fact that they would prefer talking to the suits. A suit represents more sales and they are a lot easier to impress with fluff. I never had the feeling that they didn't take me seriously, just that they correctly identified me as a small fish.