I Like Belts

Came across this article via the Desk.pm writing group. The author recounts a negative experience he had with his belt during a business presentation. He now hates belts.

I’ll pre-empt any comments by saying that yes, at their most basic, they hold up your pants. Personally, I’d rather walk around yanking my pants up every now and then. That’s what those loops are really good for.I Hate Belts by Dan

I do work in the professional business environment. I wear wool dress slacks, buttoned down shirts and yes, a belt. I find that outside of certain tech companies in Silicon Valley, most business environments require you to present a professional, dear I say, grown-up appearance. I think business managers and other executives just won't take you seriously when you are puling on your pants like a sloppy teenager.

Dan continues.

I did a little digging and found a few articles. Suspenders were a popular alternative, but this one in particular interested me. I was on the hunt for some fresh ideas when I stumbled onto Side Tabs. This is something new to me, something I’ll be looking into.

But ... using side tabs to hold your pants in place isn't any more secure a solution than the belt. Buttons easily pop-off. I've lost at least one button from the back pockets of my dress pants.

I imagine that a button popping on a side-tab means your pants become very loose -- very quickly. If your belt breaks you can run to the nearest store and get a replacement. If your side-tab button pops you are SOL. Women, generally speaking, have wide hips to hold their pants in place. Men, generally speaking, do not. Hence, the belt.

But based on what my wife tells me about the experiences she has with some workers at local offices, the current younger generation of younger workers are so coddled, they think it’s ok to dress and work like they are still in high-school.

Author: Khürt Williams

A human who works in information security and enjoys photography, Formula 1 and craft ale. #nobridge

3 thoughts on “I Like Belts”

  1. I don't thnk one can generalize how professional someone is by the way they dress. I think one has to be appropriately dressed for a situation but it doesn't mean you have to be in a suit to be taken seriously. I'm also not saying you can wear a stained t-shirt to the office and assume it is ok either. You should look at what is culturally acceptable where you work and dress at that level or slightly more formal. Extremes at either end would make others at the office uncomfortable.

    1. I agree. To a point. My wife works in a doctor's office where she has to greet clients. I think it would be inappropriate for her to wear a t-shirt and jeans.

      We went from suit and tie to more casual shirt and tie and then business casual without the tie to jeans and t-shirts (mostly west coast tech)l. Now it seems we're headed toward sweatpants and flip flops. Where's the line?

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