5 Quick and Inexpensive Office Style Upgrades
It doesn’t take much effort or money to look a step above the rest when you’re putting forth great effort at making money. Even if you don’t wear a tie to work every day, these five quick and cheap ways to upgrade your office ready look will come in handy the next time you have to put on a suit.
1. Master the art of the tie dimple – Free
It’s far from necessary and not the best idea with slim ties, but a medium width silk tie usually looks better with a tie dimple. President Obama is never seen without one. Here’s how you do it. Before you cinch up the tie to your neck, stick your index finger into the fabric below the knot. Using your thumb on one side of the tie, and your middle finger on the other, pinch the fabric so it forms an “M” shape. Middle finger goes in the valley of the M. Keep that squeezed gently as you cinch it up to your neck. Don’t over tighten, and release. Here’s a video off youtube.
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2. Quick Shine your shoes: Kiwi Color Shine – $3.19
| Aldo Hepworth – $49.98 (reg $100)
Unless you’re the kind of guy who loves shoes the way most women love shoes, you don’t need a full shine that often. A few times a week, before you jump in the shower, quick shine your shoes with some KIWI instant polish. Make sure they’re dusted off, apply and buff in a thin layer of the quick polish with the built in applicator. Take that shower, and by the time you’re ready to get dressed, your shoes will be more bright eyed than you.
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3. Slim down your watch: Skagen 619XX – $89.15
| Black Dial Multi Function – $83.55
I like a big chronograph as much as the next guy, but a super slim dress watch can streamline your look. A Skagen like these will slide easily under your shirt cuff, and it has a style to cost ratio that’s heavily in favor of your wallet.
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4. Store your cards correctly: Brooks Brothers Golden Fleece Card Case – $39.00
Writing your email and phone number on the back of someone else’s business card isn’t just embarrassing, it’s an almost guarantee that they won’t be using your services. Always be prepared with a full card case. Maybe keep one or two in your wallet as emergency backups, but a card case will keep them in mint condition.
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5. Get your smile right: Sonicare Essence HX – $49.19
| Listerine Total Care – $6.99
Some people can walk around with the rotting taste of lunch in their mouth all day. And others choose to brush their teeth at lunch. For home, invest in a Sonicare. It keep you from wearing your gums away over time and it’ll do a better job at preventing cavities. For work, any ol’ soft bristle toothbrush will do. Also store some Listerine in you desk.
Got any other quick and inexpensive tips for office style? Leave them in the comments section below.
THANK YOU for putting up how a tie dimple should look! There are too many guys that do it wrong. Even my wife now notices if a guy has a correctly dimpled tie based on all my bitching about it in the past.
Regrding the Kiwi Liquid Shine, I’d be judicious in it’s use. Most products like this tend to leave an oily sheen that attracts dust like a magnet. Also, liguid polishes have less wax in them (so they stay a liquid and don’t solidify). Less wax = less shine. Most of the time, the sheen you get is from the oil base in the product. If you are running late for a meeting or interview and you didn’t have time to polish your shoes the night before then this product is great.