Sport Coat and Jeans: how to pull it off

Wearing a great pair of jeans paired with a nice sport coat can work if you know what you're doing. However, if you don't get the look right it can end up being the business casual version of a mullet. While there are exceptions to every rule some simple guidelines will help you look sharp and ready for anything.

A monochromatic color scheme is a great place to start. A charcoal colored button down shirt, black jeans, and a black sport coat create a classic look that most men can pull off well. Make sure your shirt-tails don't hang below your sport coat. If you decide to tuck in the shirt you have the opportunity to go flashier than normal with your belt (no studs or crazy stuff but push the envelope here a tad). If you want to rock the t-shirt, make sure it goes: a bright shirt will not work here. Instead try a black shirt with a muted design, or a high quality gray ribbed t-shirt.

If you go blue instead of black with the jacket, wear blue jeans and a white or cream colored button down. The t-shirt is not a great option here, but if you must, pick a cream with some texture or even a light brown. Also on the navy blazer you will want to avoid the golden buttons (unless you own a yacht and then go for it).

Mix in striped jackets, bold blazers, and other more aggressive options as you become more comfortable with the look. 

Shoes Say A Lot: make sure you send the right message

Dress shoes are an investment, they complete a suit or outfit and they are one of the first things that style minded people look at. Good dress shoes should communicate that you are a professional and that you are successful. Buying new shoes is a great way to make those statements but over the long haul, taking care of the ones you already own makes much more sense. 

Before we talk about shoe care, let's cover storage and protection. Leather shoes should always be given at least a day to 'rest' in between wearings. This allows the moisture that accumulates during normal wear to be released by the leather. If you wear the same shoes day after day, the leather will become too moist and will wear out quickly. Also when you store your shoes use cedar shoe trees to keep the form of your foot and to help wick away that moisture. Cedar also helps reduce foot odor. 

Caring for shoes is actually quite simple and requires only a modest investment of time and money. You will need a horsehair brush, two soft cloths, and some shoe shine or polish that matches your shoes. First use the brush to remove any dirt or debris from all surfaces of the shoe. Then apply shine to the shoe using one of your soft cloths; this will become your 'on' cloth. Work in small sections and apply only a small amount of shoe shine or polish. When you have covered the entire leather surface, use the other cloth, your 'off' cloth to buff out the shoe, leaving a clean and often shiny quality. Finally go over the shoes once more with the brush to remove the last trace amounts of polish and you're done.

Many men and women admit to judging others by first looking at the shoes they are wearing. Make sure the message you send with your footwear is a positive one.

Interviewing: it's a process of elimination

If you are interviewing for a new job you may think the employer's goal is to find the best candidate from all those who applied or sent in résumés. That is not the case. From the employers point of view they need to quickly weed out as many of the applicants as possible by whatever means necessary. 

Few interviewers have the time or inclination to sit through dozens of long interviews trying to figure out which prospective employee is the best. Rather they eliminate candidates based on dress, promptness, neatness, grooming, first impressions, and an infinite array of other seemingly minute details. 

Here is where you must do your part to insure you make the short list of interviewees that the employer will spend some time with. If you have a weird hairstyle or a nose ring, now is the time to make a change. The more professional you look, the more likely you are to get through this process of elimination. 

It doesn't seem fair that employers are going to be judging you based on these surface issues, but it is a fact of life and the sooner you realize this the better. This same concept holds true if you are meeting new clients, making a sales pitch, or even going out on a first date. In other words, when there is nothing to object to, people will take time to get to know the real you.

Don't be Sheep: go after what you want

Many of us are too concerned about appearances to actually express our real thoughts and feelings. We let ourselves be led around by the expectations of others or some preconceived notion of what our lives should "look like." Instead we ought to take some time to analyze what we want out of our lives and create a plan to make those things happen. 

If travel is a real passion of yours and you are constrained by your current situation, start looking for ways to create a life that includes travel. Maybe that means looking for another job or even changing careers. Whatever the case, you only get one shot in this life so make it count. 

Perhaps you are interested in a new position or opportunity at work. If you don't let anyone know about your desire for that position, chances are they won't ever know you were hoping to make a change. It is your responsibility to go after what you want, whatever that may be.

Think of today as your first chance to express who you want to be and tell someone about it. Work hard for the things you want and take pleasure in getting them. Don't be a sheep, instead be a billboard advertising the new and future you.