Level 2 (Start Here)
Level 2? No, you haven’t missed any pages. This is like the big fold out that comes with your new appliance: Quick Set Up. We’re starting where there is something to say on the subject of dressing. If you want to know anything about personal style, Level 2 is the first step.
Level 1 clothing, the sort of stuff you put on to walk the dog or to read the newspaper on the porch, you know, the old nylon drawstring cargo shorts and that wonderful, faded old tee shirt you got at the Indianapolis 500, the home alone wardrobe, needs no discussion by me or anybody else. Everyone already knows all there is to know about dressing to chill out. Back in the eighties it was David Geffen, the mega-agent, producer and Hollywood music mogul, who famously celebrated the idea that becoming successful had earned him the right go to his office in clothes he might also wear to clean his basement. At the time it was kind of threatening to me. I was pretty vulnerable back then. I was running a suit company. Now, I don’t give a damn if you wear or even own a suit; but even if you’re David Geffen you should learn how to look nice. You know, respectable. Appropriate.
So we’ll start with the fundamentals of looking good, in clothes that show some dignity even though they may be casual. This is where the rubber meets the road when it comes to caring about how you look. You can show up at your office with a day’s growth of beard and wearing a tee shirt if you want, I mean who’s to stop you, but if you care about anybody else, if you mean to show some respect for your position or your associates, clients or even for your product, you should be in Level 2 attire, because the chances are you’ll encounter someone on whom you’ll be making some kind of an impression, either actually or subliminally, for better or for worse.
And by the way, if you don’t care about how you look, put this book back on the shelf and move over to the sports section, or philosophy. I’m serious. I’m not trying to save any souls, just help the ones who’ve seen the light.