Valley Professionals Break Dress-for-Success Rules : Tale of Two Sartorial Styles

When John Craig works at his downtown law office, he always wears an expensive, well-cut suit. And when he’s conducting business at his San Fernando Valley office “it’s breakfast in shorts and a polo shirt, lunch in slacks and a dress shirt, sometimes business with a tie.”

Like many Valley businessmen, Craig has found that, in terms of fashion, things are a bit more casual in the Valley. “If you’re not careful you can actually be overdressed for the occasion,” he said. “It has happened to me more than once.”

From Sylmar to Sherman Oaks, fashion experts agree that, if Southern California is the land of laid-back style, the Valley may well be the capital of casual. Jogging suits and tennis shorts abound. In the professional world, open collars and corduroy pants are not uncommon. And, although nobody will go so far as to say comfort doesn’t have its place, some support the notion that Valleyites could dress with a bit more panache.

“In general, the Westside and most of L. A. seems to be more fashion conscious, and, for the most part, better dressed than the Valley,” acknowledged Rick Pallack, owner of the large Sherman Oaks men’s store of the same name. Pallack, who says 40% of his business comes from Los Angeles, commented, “You see fewer sweaters, coats and vests in the Valley; you see lighter colors and more informal styles.”

More Relaxed Dressing

Added Jerry Wainess, general manager of Saks Fifth Avenue in Woodland Hills: “People in the Valley are dressing up more than they used to, but there still remains a tendency to go relaxed, even underdressed for some occasions, including business.”

Few restaurants in the Valley expect formal dress. And, with no ballet company, philharmonic orchestra or major live theater in the Valley, a black tie or silk gown isn’t often in order. Add to this the fact that few firms have located their corporate headquarters in the Valley, and doesn’t it seem natural that the style of dress would be a little less formal?

Yes, say Pallack and Wainess, who stock their stores with the Valley shopper in mind. Nevertheless, according to Pallack, “It’s important people look their best. In the past there hasn’t been as much emphasis on dressing up in the Valley.”

Nobody’s suggesting that most Valleyites fit into the slob category. Or that the contrast between L. A. and the Valley is as great as, say, Paris, France and Pixley, Calif. It’s just that each side of the Santa Monica Mountains seems to have its own basic style. And though some would argue the Valley has less of it, everyone likes to argue over the reason why.

Among the more popular explanations:

The Thermometer Theory. This one is probably the most commonly advanced. Since the Valley is often 10 to 15 degrees warmer than Los Angeles, not only is it impractical to dress up, it’s undesirable.

The Elevator and Restaurant Theory. In downtown L. A., Century City and points between, clusters of similar businesses--advertising agencies, banks, law and publishing offices--often occupy the same high-rise. In the Valley, competitors are usually farther apart. According to Laurie Golden, who operates Jacob’s Well Public Relations and Advertising in Woodland Hills, “If you’re in the city you ride the elevator and eat at the same restaurant as your colleagues. If you want to impress them you have to look successful.”

The Two Kids and a Dog Theory. According to Pallack, “Valley people are more family oriented. They have house payments, car payments and kids. They have their priorities in a different order.”

The George Washington Theory. Although most Valley residents aren’t exactly poor, incomes don’t match parts of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and the Westside. Thus, the thinking goes, retailers don’t necessarily offer top lines of clothing and Valleyites aren’t as interested in buying them.

The Product of Your Environment Theory. “If you live in an area where other people don’t dress up, you probably won’t dress up as much either,” Pallack said.

No matter which theory (or theories) one chooses to subscribe to, the fact is that all of this has led some to adopt a sort of Jekyll-and-Hyde philosophy when it comes to putting on clothes. “When I go into the city I dress differently than when I’m in the Valley,” explained Laurie Golden. “Here I wear much more relaxed, free-flowing, artistic styles. Over the hill, I have to wear a suit or a dress because that’s what everyone else wears. Besides, you often meet in formal conference rooms. And, if you aren’t dressed properly, it can be very awkward.”

Golden says she learned about dressing the hard way. When she started a job with a large Century City advertising firm several years ago, she was given explicit instructions on how to dress the part. “When I came home and told my husband, he said, ‘They were just kidding.’ I said, ‘No, I believe they are serious.’ And so I went to the store and bought what they wanted. When I came in, the vice president looked at me and said how good I looked. After that, I was extremely aware of how I dressed in the city.”

Environment Is His Guide

Attorney Craig, meanwhile, makes it a point to dress according to his environment--even if that means changing clothes during the day. “Sometimes I really stand out,” he said. “I’ll be sitting in a casual restaurant in the Valley with a pinstripe suit on and everyone else looks like they are ready to work on their roof. So, if I know what my day will be ahead of time, I’ll plan for it. Otherwise I just accept the fact I’m going to stick out.”

Can one’s career be hurt by not dressing the part? Craig thinks so. “There’s no written code about how you should dress. But, obviously, if you are in a professional occupation you have to present the right image. If your clientele dresses up, so do you. . . .It’s better to be overdressed than underdressed.”

Golden takes a similar view. “There are plenty of CPAs, insurance agents and other professionals who dress somewhat grubby and sloppy. And my thinking is, whether it’s right or wrong, if they are sloppy in their dress then maybe they are sloppy in their work.”

Paulette Holmon, a Woodland Hills-based image and dress consultant, regularly conducts seminars for firms that want to improve the appearance of their employees. As she puts it: “A lot of companies have an image they want to project. And employees who don’t dress as they are expected may find themselves at the end of the line when the time comes for a promotion.”

‘Take Care of Business’

Indeed, for many firms--among them banks, retail outlets and insurance companies--the tendency to dress down, particularly in the Valley, amounts to a serious concern. “It’s not so much an issue of dressing for success, which is an overused expression, it’s dressing for the professional image,” Holmon said. “A person should always look like they are ready to take care of business.”

And just what does Holmon tell her clients? “You don’t have to spend a fortune to dress well. You don’t have to buy a whole new wardrobe. By taking an inventory of what you have, then coordinating a wardrobe around those clothes so everything can be mixed and matched, you’re well on the way to creating a functional wardrobe.”

Moreover, by sticking with “classic colors and styles, you can look good and not worry about the clothes going out of style.”

For men, she says, even a pair of wash-and-wear slacks with a V-neck sweater, shirt and tie can pull off a professional look. For ladies, a simple dress that isn’t too bold or colorful can do the same. “Look at the type of office you work in,” she suggests to clients. “If it’s an art department, dress a little more artistically. If it’s a bank, dress in a businesslike manner. Just remember, you don’t want to be the one who dresses flashy when everyone else dresses very conservatively.”

Back at the clothes rack, Pallack and Wainess eagerly await the day they can say the Valley, as a whole, dresses better than the rest of the city. “It’s changing,” said Pallack. “People here are becoming more conscious of the way they dress.

“Besides,” he added with a sigh, “there are plenty of people from the Westside who don’t dress so well either.”