The old advice to dress for the job you want only works if you understand the grammar of the room you are actually standing in. Authority today rarely looks like a rigid three-piece suit worn in thirty-degree weather.
The honest rule is simpler: dress one deliberate step more considered than the room expects, never two. One step signals preparation, self-respect, and readiness to lead. Two steps signals that you misread the environment.
Invest in an unstructured navy jacket, crisp poplin shirts, and trousers tailored to the millimetre. Competence is always the main text, and great tailoring is the punctuation.
