Practice Management

At A Home Office You Can Be A Fashion Disaster

By chucknewton

Mario Batali is the proprietor of six celebrated restaurants (none of which I have visited), the author of numerous cookbooks, a former star on Food TV, and has an upcoming show on PBS with Gwyneth Paltrow of all people.  But, he is known for his unusual leisurely look of shorts and orange glogs (even in the middle of winter).  In a recent interview published on HuffPo he admitted that he is "a fashion disaster", and he was refused entry to a fellow chef's hip downtown birthday party due to his casual duds.

Batali does not seem to care too much about his dress, and neither do I.

The problem might be that this is Batali's public persona, and it is just a bit too informal for some.  The beauty of the work at home class of lawyers is that it does not matter if we go around dressed like Batali or worse, as long as you wear a suit and tie to court.

That might not be all true if you have an independent office.  First, your staff expects more out of you.  Second, clients know they can drop in on you at any time and they expect more out of you.

Now for me, if I do not have Court, and I do not need to meet with someone other than over the phone (which is most days), I might not shave.  I tend to wear Dockers and pocket t-shirts.  I am known to walk around all day during the summer in my bare feet or sandals, and in the colder months in my house slippers.

Call me a bum, but who am I hurting being comfortable.  Besides, as they say in East Texas I "clean up well".

I also tend to think necessary dress, or lack of it, is yet another cost savings in being a home-based attorney.

Now, all of this might be a problem for others who love to shop till they drop, but that is not me.  I live in a more tropical environment and I want simple, clean, cotton, air-breathing clothing to wear.

Full post as published by Chuck Newton on January 28, 2008 (boomark / email).