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I first purchased John T. Molloy's DRESS FOR SUCCESS (copywrite 1975) in 1987, shortly before embarking upon my initial corporate trip up the proverbial ladder.
I reside in Kansas City, Missouri - not exactly a fashion capital of this nation, nor any other. This is also currently (in 2002) the #2 most obese city in our nation (and I think has been in the top 10 most obese cities for the last 20 years). Purchasing suits and other clothing in this city has been more than a difficulty for me, at 6'3" and 185 athletic, trim #'s.
However, I stumbled across this particular book, shortly before graduating from college. I used a portion of my last student loan to purchase six suits (3 double breasted), eight shirts (all white, button down collared), four pair of shoes, black & brown, wingtip laced and tassled loafer, as well as a dozen extremely tasteful silk ties in the $30 to $40 range and a dozen pair of over-the-calf nylon socks, in 1989...And I was pretty much set.
I never felt out of my league and within 30 months my salary had tripled and I was able to begin purchasing work clothing which more closely mimicked that of my executive VP's. I pretty much memorized entire passages of Mr Molloy's 1975 printing and adapted by observing my 'superiors' tastes and styles, bringing myself up to early 1990's styles.
I should add, that prior to 1989.....I had never purchased nor even worn, anything remotely resembling a $600 business suit. Yet I did discover great looking suits (under $400) which required minimal to substantial alterations ( and I followed Mr Molloy's advice to a T ).
... Read more ›A lot of the criticism of the book seems to be that dress styles have changed over the years and the book needs an update, possibly a section on Dress Casual. Believe me, there are still many places where people wear suits everyday, and some of these people have a lot of power and money, and they have not gone out of business like the "dot-commers who wear sneakers."
Dress for Success helped me build a basic wardrobe. And I have received many compliments on suit combinations that are right out of the book.
Remember, Molloy is writing the book to help people dress for success, not fashion or fad. He has written the book for people who wear suits, not for people who work in environments that are dress casual and they never have to interface with anybody else.
I do agree with some of the other criticisms. He does gloss over some important things, (shoes, etc.,) and some of his methodology is sketchy. But after being thrust into the corporate world, I can tell you that his conclusions are eerily accurate. You can deviate from the general principles of the book, but I feel that you do so at your own peril.