<p>Some could also grow taller, sometimes substantially so depending on their genetics. </p>
<p>I didn’t grow as much, but did add about an inch from HS graduation till I stopped growing sometime at the end of freshman year of college. </p>
<p>Thankfully, I didn’t need to wear that late HS suit very much as it was apparent it was meant for a shorter person from end of freshman year onwards. </p>
<p>Agree on the other parts as I also exercised far more in undergrad and slightly reduced my food intake which meant I actually lost around 15 pounds freshman year along with gaining that extra inch.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice, everyone. It’s much appreciated. I’m going to be asking for north of $1 million in backing to pay for servers, marketing, and employees.</p>
<p>I’m still a kid, but I’m asking for “grown up” money. I want investors to take me seriously. If anything, I think I’m now of the opinion that it’s a good thing if they believe I take myself too seriously. It means they think I won’t squander their hard-earned money.</p>
<p>"In short, this makes borrowing fellow friends’ clothes very difficult and impractical. This is especially an issue if you’re unusually proportioned and/or extremely short or tall. In college, I was usually one of the taller males in the dorm. "</p>
<p>Well, then, you buy your own. See how easy that is? I swear only on CC is dressing so difficult for people.</p>
<p>It’s like the helpless around here. “But I might gain / lose weight!” Well, then your regular jeans and casual clothes won’t fit either. You solve the dressy clothes issue the way you solve the casual clothes issue. You buy / maintain clothing that fits you. It’s just as easy to pick up a pair of khakis and button down at Target as it is to buy jeans and t shirts at Target. It takes no more skill or effort. Why is this so difficult?</p>
<p>Glad you figured it out OP. Since styles vary so much around the country, take a look at what young professionals in your area are wearing. Also consider the audience you are selling to. I know that in our area, it would be unusual to see a young person in a navy blazer and gray flannel pants. Good luck with your presentation.</p>
<p>The OP received conflicting advice on attire from friends and family, people he knows in real life, so apparently it isn’t only on CC that people can disagree or have difficulty determining what is appropriate dress for a given occasion.</p>
<p>OP, if you’re actually up in rural Hanover, NH at Dartmouth, you won’t find many role models among the “young professionals in your area” for this meeting. Try looking at current magazine ads from the Boston Globe or NYTimes Magazine, which has a Style section. You don’t have to shop in their megabuck advertised stores, but the photos might give some idea of the look for your age group when dressed up.</p>
<p>Throwing money at the issue is one thing is a solution and applicable to the OP…especially considering he’s putting on a performance for more money.</p>
<p>However, it’s not a viable solution for students who don’t have much/any money to throw around due to being financially constrained…as you’ve said earlier. Especially when it’s not a vital necessity for the non-conservatory students while in college in our rural Midwest town as formality wasn’t that high for most of the jobs students could obtain on/near campus.</p>
<p>Did I not explicitly say Target? I never said anyone had to go to Neiman-Marcus. But this is getting ridiculous. For most people, there will be occasions in their lives where they need clothing beyond jeans / sneakers. (This isn’t a revelation here.) So, then … they go obtain such clothing from whatever suits their tastes and budget. If they buy their other clothes from resale shops, then they buy that same clothing from resale shops. If they buy their other clothing from Target, then they buy that same clothing from Target. If they buy their other clothing from Macy’s, then they buy that same clothing from Macy’s. If they buy their other clothing from Neiman-Marcus, then they buy that same clothing from Neiman-Marcus. Why this category of clothing is treated as so very difficult and confusing is beyond me. It doesn’t take Harvard-level brains to figure out how to get a buttondown and khakis for a guy, or a black skirt or dress pants and a sweater for a girl. It’s not one bit harder than obtaining your jeans and t-shirts.</p>
<p>While Target is cheap and accessible to many, there are students who/whose families couldn’t afford Target. Even PG acknowledged as much when she excluded impoverished students from her overly-heated remarks. </p>
<p>Also, that assumes Target exist or like them or are located in or within reasonable walking/public transportation distance, an assumption which isn’t necessarily valid for all college campuses. </p>
<p>Especially more rural ones where one needs access to a car to get anywhere not within reasonable walking distance* of the campus due to poor/practically non-existent public transportation options. </p>
<p>*I.e. Around 3 miles assuming no health/physical disability issues.</p>
<p>It’s not “throwing money at the issue.” It’s obtaining what you need. It is beyond dumb to suggest that buying jeans and sneakers is “buying what you need” but plunking down a pair of khakis at the register is “throwing money at it.” It’s. The. Exact. Same. Thing.</p>
<p>Spare me. I know Oberlin grads too. They aren’t magically different from other people. They still had occasions where they were meeting a girlfriend’s / boyfriend’s parents, going to church with grandma at the holidays, going to a wedding or bridal shower, etc. and had occasion to dress beyond jeans / sneakers.</p>
<p>Not everyone bought all of those clothes for college. Some could be hand-me-downs from older relatives. Others like t-shirts could be obtained free from school and work convention events. Got plenty of free t-shirts from college visits, my LAC, and attending various work/work-related conventions…especially computer/techie conventions. </p>
<p>Also, it’s much easier to share jeans and T-shirts among male students as one doesn’t have to be nearly as strict* about sizing/body proportions as a professionally-oriented suit where proper fit is crucial to a professional looking appearance. </p>
<ul>
<li>Especially back in the '90s when wearing oversized clothes was fine.</li>
</ul>
<p>Only Mark Zuckerberg gets to dress like Mark Zuckerberg. The rest of us, particularly those begging for money, need to look earnest and respectful. In concrete terms, “earnest” is a blazer; unwrinkled button down shirt; neat, well tailored khakis; and non-scuffed, non-sneaker shoes.</p>
<p>For presenting to investors, the OP probably wants a suit, dress shirt, and tie, rather than some other button down and khakis.</p>
<p>Hard as it may be for you to believe, but a lot of men (particularly college age men) are not very clothing-aware when it comes to dressy clothes. The result is that they show up wearing poorly fitting dress clothes, whether bought recently or not. College age men are also less likely to find off-the-rack dress clothes that are close enough to the correct fit to be within reasonable alteration range (i.e. more likely to need to search for more obscure cuts and sizes, or buy made-to-measure dress clothes).</p>
<p>Yes. Because their parents failed them. Just like a parent who doesn’t teach a kid how to shake hands or put the napkin on the lap or other social niceties has failed them.</p>