Ah, the start-up life… From "flexible schedules" to
"mandatory ping pong tables" to "office dogs," there are plenty of myths
that come with striking it out on your own. One of the most prevalent?
The standardization of the hoodie-jeans-flip-flops style.
Your traditional nine-to-five friends may think it's your daily
attire, but in the start-up game, it's anything but. Actually, delving
into the start-up world means having to don an even wider array of
attire choices. Since you're doing everything, you'll need to look a
number of parts.
Fortunately for you, we're here to help. Being in the
fashion/tech start-up space, we thought we'd run down a few of the
different "looks" you'll likely be needing:
The pitch
The lean-start up approach is definitely our mantra. However, there comes a day when you will need to go out and fund raise.
One thing we have learned over time is that investors come in
all shapes and sizes. Whether they are dressed in three-piece suits or
ripped denim, when pitching, we always default to professional attire
with a spin. It's only smart. When trying to prove that you are the
right team to take your business from an idea to a multi-million-dollar
company, a professional attitude is only complemented by professional
attire.
That means no jeans, no tees, no flip flops. You don't have to be
completely buttoned up, however. This is the startup world after all.
We often find ourselves wearing formal attire with a pop like, say, a
suit dress / pencil skirt and poplin shirt, with a colorful necklace or heels. For the guys, aim for a
set of great suit pants and a tasteful tie. The goal is to stay
professional, while also showing your personality.
The sprint
This activity demands something close to the hoodie-jeans-flip-flops
ensemble mentioned above. The key here is comfort. From track suits to
zip ups and jeans, this is what you'll wear when you and the engineering
team are pulling an all-nighter to push out code.
For us, we shoot for comfort when having to spend long hours in front
of the computer (sporting our trusty Warby Parkers so we can still see
straight). Still, it's always good to be prepared. For instance, we
never know when a fashion blogger might let us know via Twitter that
they're in the neighborhood and want to get together for a drink. So,
we'll often wear jeans to the office over what we all used to wear on
those lazy Sundays in college.
Similarly, we'll sport flip flops or sneakers, but we'll always have a nice pair of dress shoes at arm's length just in case.
The release
Every smart founder keeps some gym gear close at hand. When you're
putting in 16-hour days, you'll need to blow off some steam (if for no
other reason than to keep your sanity).
We each keep work-out attire in the office: our favorite lululemon
shorts, Hukkster branded hair ties and tees so we can grab and go
whenever we have to get a quick endorphin boost. Bonus tip: If you
schedule your days in a way that's accommodating, you can pop out to the
gym midday, when it's a little less crowded.
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