Manhattan Makeovers Blog for Attorneys

Richard Nixon

A professional makeover in Manhattan can help an attorney, banker, or other highly educated individual reach their full potential. Richard Nixon, pictured here, was the only practicing attorney in recent years to become president. It is interesting to discover that there are color and wardrobe rules that apply to attorneys that do not apply to any other profession.

The information in this article, and the advice we present to clients, is not taken from the pages of fashion magazines. Instead, we base our recommendations on the work of John T. Molloy and additional research that we have conducted over three decades. This database of information reveals that the colors a professional wears are extremely important. A male attorney, for example, is best outfitted in blue, gray, or beige and shades thereof. These rules also apply, although with slightly less rigor, to bankers, accountants, and Wall Street traders.

Female attorneys are not as restricted in color, but the rules for their wardrobe are more complex and often counterintuitive. For example, female attorneys who wear pants are likely to alienate those from the blue collar ranks, such as police officers, firefighters, and plumbers. How many female attorneys are aware of such effects? The reason Manhattan Makeovers counsels attorneys is to help them navigate the rough waters of dressing for success with clients, colleagues, and judges.

When a girl goes to law school, it is not likely that she is thinking about what to wear as a professional. When I was in law school, for instance, the girls in my classes dressed just like college coeds. They wore sweaters, pants, blue jeans, and sneakers. They may have looked alluring but they were training themselves for failure, not success. The guys were no better. They wore slacks and sweaters, dress shirts without ties, and even sweatshirts. They looked worse than the janitorial staff, and it was sometimes embarrassing to see them because they were so poorly dressed.

Unfortunately, upon graduation, young attorneys are never given lessons in what is effective. They’re simply thrust into the workforce and expected to survive. There is no question that many of them continued their casual approach, without knowing that by doing so they were hurting their chances of success with potential clients.

Judges are more forgiving than clients. After all, the legal profession is the most emotionless group of all the professions, including physicians. Naturally, it helps to put emotion aside when arguing a case. But judges are the best at doing this. They can look beyond your outfit. You’re not likely to lose a case simply because you wore a bow tie to court, or because your shoes were the wrong shade compared to your suit. Yet, it makes your life so much easier if you’re dressed right, and there are unwritten rules about how to be properly attired if you are an attorney. These rules pertain to color, fabric, style, and more.

When we do a makeover for an attorney or a banker, we take them to the finest stores in Manhattan. They’re not required to make any purchases. However, they will see and learn firsthand because they will stand in front of three-way mirrors and see how they look when attired in the right colors, fabrics, and styles. Often it is an eye-opening experience.

Our team knows that style is more than fashion. Attorneys are not interested in appearing on the cover of a fashion magazine, anyway. What they want is to be successful with their clients. Nothing can help more than competence in the field of law which they practice. But second to that is the look of the attorney, his composure, and the way he interacts with potential clients.

Because attorneys meet clients in various settings, it is crucial for the modern professional to also have a Saturday and Sunday wardrobe that is professional yet sporty. Weekends are even more important for client acquisition than you may realize. If you’re not attracting new clients on your off days, maybe it’s because you aren’t dressed right.

We talk a lot about your “contrast level” at Manhattan Makeovers, but attorneys need not be concerned with this element of appearance the way salesmen need to, for example. Contrast is not so important to an attorney because lawyers are expected to dress a certain way, no matter what their own individual contrast level might be. Naturally we teach attorneys about contrast and how it can help them on their off days, but we hammer home the incontrovertible findings that spell out the colors they should wear, the style of their suits, and the kind of footwear that is de rigueur.

Nixon may have had a hard time during the Watergate scandal, but even during those rough times he dressed right. He was in the right color suits, and the ties he wore were appropriate. His story illustrates how wardrobe can’t save you from every pitfall and misstep a professional may make. But it can ease the pain and make the mistakes easier to bear. Wearing the right outfit can make it easier to recover from your mistakes, as well.

On the matter of professional makeovers, it should be noted that the scientists and bank officers we have worked with were all very pleased to discover that someone had actually done research to find out what items of wardrobe and footwear were actually effective. We also know what styles of haircut and hairstyles for women are going to produce results. By results, I mean that people will not be turned off by your shoes, your hair, or your suit if you follow our recommendations.

Last but not least, a makeover in Manhattan with our team is a fun experience. We present men with women personal shoppers as well as male shoppers so that they can have the added benefit of the female perspective. And vice versa for our female clients. But most importantly, we share with professionals the advice from our database that reflects what will help the attorney or banker do well in his day-to-day activities. It’s amazing how a simple change of footwear can transform a woman from a Cinderella to a princess. In a similar way, the correct haircut and suit style can make a man comfortable in front of a jury or in front of a well-heeled client.

The worst thing a professional can do is ignore research about what is effective. It can’t hurt to learn what this research says. You can always avoid following it if you like to buck recent trends. But in the final analysis our research is not about fads and trends. It is about what has been proven effective over decades and centuries. See what a change in wardrobe can do for you. We’re sure you’ll like the results.