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<p>College age men will almost certainly need to get off-the-rack dress clothes altered, probably by quite a bit. Made-to-measure or full custom dress clothes are available, but less commonly available and more expensive.</p>
<p>It is rather typical for male college students interviewing for internships or first jobs at graduation to come in wearing poorly fitting suits or dress shirts, defeating the purpose of wearing dressy clothes.</p>
<p>Our kid is a musician. He has always needed well fitting, suitable dress clothes…suits, tuxes, tails, sport jackets, etc. He is slim, and short. Everything he wears fits him well. Even when he was a college student, we were able to shop around to find clothing that fit well…most right off the rack.</p>
<p>But it takes some shopping around. And he was willing to shop around to get the right fit.</p>
<p>I do think that the fit is every bit as important as the quality. Simply put…a poor fitting Armani suit is going to look a lot worse than a well fitted suit from J.C. Penney (where you can get separates in a huge variety of sizes).</p>
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<p>As much as I am inclined to be sympathetic to your friends’ perspective on this, your parents are right here. Especially considering you’re pitching your company to potential investors to ask for their money. Also, your dress is part of the costume of your presentation and thus, a performance and you’re the one performing. :)</p>
<p>Granted, I’d check to see what type of dress norms are expected for your specific industry and most group of investors…and then make sure to dress at or slightly above their level along with an engaging smile and presentation to make a first and hopefully positive impression. :)</p>
<p>^^edad?</p>
<p>Are you picking a fight or just being funny? I don’t get it. 
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<p>You only have one chance to make a first impression, as the adage goes. You’re asking for financial backing so while you may not feel that you have to “impress” your target audience, you do have to look as if you respect them. I’d go with a suit and tie, which you can “personalize” by a natty shirt, tie and pocket square. If you truly feel that is not “you” or that you’d be over-dressed, you can’t go wrong with a well-cut navy blazer and grey wool flannel slacks (it’s winter, and they look better than khakis and won’t wrinkle nearly as much). Whatever you get, allow some time to have things tailored properly and make sure that things are cleaned and pressed.
Good luck- let us know how it goes!</p>
<p>Sorry, not trying to pick a fight.</p>
<p>It just seemed incongruent that someone with a goofy handle would expect their advice to be taken seriously. I guess it would be like dressing sloppy and expecting to succeed when dealing with investors.</p>
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<p>Most website forums, including this one are usually supposed to be much more informal in atmosphere so posters can participate in a more relaxed setting than one would expect in more stuffy settings like a formal presentation to solicit investors. </p>
<p>Last I checked, this forum doesn’t strike me as one where one’s supposed to type in grammatically perfect Queen’s English nor act as if one’s dressed up in top hat, formal tails, and accompanied by tea with a plate of cucumber sandwiches. :D</p>
<p>I would definitely suggest a suit and tie. I think it shows respect. To keep the look more youthful (which I think is a good thing) I would suggest a blue shirt. The shirt can be a little more casual with a button down collar (like a classic Brooks Brothers). </p>
<p>Given that you are in college, you may not have the experience of buying these types of clothing. I would reach-out for help from a stylish friend or if you have the budget from a store like Brooks Brothers. They can help you get that “respectful look” with a more youthful edge. I think discounted clothing is great if you can put it together yourself.</p>
<p>Lots of luck to you!!!</p>
<p>Your friends are naive --that reasoning isn’t one that investors will necessarily draw. They will just think your are a casual person at best and they will think that you just don’t care and wonder if you are ever presentable at worst.</p>
<p>^^I have an idea edad! How about next time you keep your rude comments to yourself so that you don’t offend? Great! Thanks! (I’ve been posting for three years without incident, I guess there’s a first time for everything) :(</p>
<p>You’re asking them for money – large amounts of money. Dressing like a grown-up is an absolute necessity.</p>
<p>Dress in dress up clothes that fit you properly. Yes, places like Brooks Brothers and Nordstom offer great customer assistance. But really, they are very expensive…even if you find a sale. </p>
<p>The point everyone is making…dress UP. Don’t dress casual. You are trying to enter a business transaction. Your first impression will be how you LOOK. In addition to clothing that fits properly, make sure your shoes are nice, your hair cut and clean, nails clean, etc.</p>
<p>Dress like you give a damn. Investors have no interest in what you think about yourself. They have every interest in your determination to make your product successful. That may mean that you have to tweak it from what you think is perfect to what the market is willing to spend their money on. Confidence is very important, but arrogance will kill you.</p>
<p>Most young people look even younger when they dress casually. By looking older, the investors may feel more comfortable giving you the money.</p>
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<p>Is the handle “edad” meant to suggest gravitas or authority of some sort (“age”?) or does it mean you work in some computer-, internet- or software- related industry and have kids? What gives you the ethos to critique other people’s online pseudonyms?</p>
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<p>Lots of grown-ups do not dress in suits and ties all the time – just for special occasions like meeting investors who expect people asking them for money to wear suits and ties.</p>
<p>Good point UCBA…my professional husband does not wear a tie, jacket, or suit to work everyday. BUT when he is doing a presentation to a potential client, he wears a suit. </p>
<p>It came from TJMaxx…another place to look.</p>
<p>NJSue: Probably more of logos than ethos. In any case I did not intend to be rude. Chocolachipcookie offered good advice. Let us hope the OP follows it.</p>
<p>I can recall an issue with my D when she applied to colleges and needed email for scheduling interviews, etc. She felt her teenage girl email user name was fine. Afterall it was not obscene. As with the issue of appropriate dress, it took a lot of effort for her to see the need to have the credibility of a more dignified user name.</p>
<p>"Friends have told me that I should dress casually to show that I don’t take myself too seriously and that I value my product and intelligence more than my outward appearance. "</p>
<p>These things aren’t mutually exclusive. Plenty of people are able to do both.</p>
<p>“Given that you are in college, you may not have the experience of buying these types of clothing. I would reach-out for help from a stylish friend or if you have the budget from a store like Brooks Brothers.”</p>
<p>Unless someone comes from an impoverished background, shame on their parents for not sending then off to school with at least one “nice” outfit, and for not ever having occasions that call for a step above jeans and t shirts.</p>