John T. Molloy's New Dress for Success (Paperback)

~ (Author) "When I tell conservatively dressed businessmen that most men dress for failure, they generally agree..." (more)
Key Phrases: solid blue suit, solid shirt, solid suit, New York, Ivy League, Fifth Avenue (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

All the changes that have taken place in men's wardrobes in the past fifteen years are incorporated into this highly successful title. Contains 30 percent new information and a four-color, four-page illustration insert. Original.

Product Details

• Paperback: 390 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; Exp Upd edition (January 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446385522
• ISBN-13: 978-0446385527
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 4.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #66,701 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Do Not Purchase this Book, If -, November 4, 2002

By	Debonair Rogue (Kansas City, MO USA) - See all my reviews

you plan to keep allowing your girlfriend, wife, mother or frat buddies to influence your mode of dress for the white collar office of the 20th Century.

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 ). I've never felt outdressed, overdressed or clownishly inept in business settings on either coast, or anywhere else while working for four Fortune 500 corporations in the last dozen years. My career is within the IT field, yet I've interacted daily with senior executives as well as newly hired staff for 90% of my career.

Talent, savvy AND dressing for success (without blowing your bosses OR your customers out of the water) will add up and help you to become successful, yourselves. Business casual doesn't equate to dressing down to the level of casual business. Never wear a dress shirt without sporting a tie; never wear a tee-shirt that can be seen under your dress shirt; never purchase suit clothing which wrinkles too readily; never let your suit jacket bunch up around the back of your neck; never allow your slacks to hike up so far that they expose your calves because you chose stockings which are simply too short and inexpensive; never purchase a cheaply made, inexpensive tie; simple rules like these are so easy to follow and will always pay off for you.

Buy this book, read it, pay attention, and apply Molloy's inexpensive lessons. 15 yrs from now, you'll feel like writing a coherent and helpful review, yourself.

The moment I first picked up his 1975 printing, is one I'll long remember.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars dated, but the best I've found, May 22, 2006

By	AlabamaGene "solexist.org" (Lexington, KY) - See all my reviews

I'm leaving the military, and read this book on the advice of a couple different headhunter firms. It is a little out of date, but still is a great book.

Here are some great quotes: "You do not want to look like Lou Costello with his pants under his armpits, and you do not want to [sag and] look like a member of the lower middle class." (pg 47). [If your cuffs are higher than 5.5 inches from your thumb], you will look like a Broadway crapshooter, a fashion model, or a dandy." (pg 52). "You can, if you are already very rich and very successful, or if you desire to have an affair with an Italian contessa, wear silk shirts." (pg 71). "You will never, ever, as long as you live, wear a short-sleeve shirt for any business purpose, no matter whether you are the office boy or the president of the company..." (pg 86). "When we showed the picture with the monogram showing, the answers were not positive; in fact seventeen percent of the respondents identified him as a hooker-booker." (pg 87) "One of the things that made the evening so memorable was that at one point all of the young men got together, put their hands on a Beatles album, and swore that they would never, ever, ever, wear a tie." (pg 92). "Do not wear [a bow tie] to business unless you are a clown, a college professor, or a social commentator." (pg 115).

I could go on and on. This guy is hilarious, intentionally or not, and gives some good general fashion advice. Sure, things have changed a little, and the "four pages of full color photos" are a little '80s looking, but reading this book will save you from many fashion mistakes. At least it has caused me to develop an agenda as I shop for suits, and I have planned my interview attire.

The best part is at the beginning, when he tells you not to listen to your wife. My wife always tells me what to wear, and it's nice to have a legit book that I can cite when I don't listen to her. It's true, the surveys and facts cited aren't particularly academically rigorous, but it's worth heeding, none the less. As a testament of the quality of this read, just look at the cover- despite being forged during the fashion nightmare of the '70s and '80s, the dark pinstripe suit, white shirt and tie are very appropriate, even today. That's his whole point- eschew fashion for the time tested, well respected look. It's a starting point, at least.

The controversial point about Afros and hair grease for Hispanics is not controversial, in my book. He's not saying they're bad- he's just saying that in his experience, ethnic looks do not sell well to people from different demographics, which is probably true, even today. He also advises Southerners not to wear cowboy hats and bolo ties to NYC, and that doesn't seem to have stirred up controversy. In my opinion, that's the exact same thing. He's not telling people they can't dress as they like- he's just pointing out that any difference from the norm does not maximize your efficacy.

This book is a definite buy, particularly as cheaply as it is offered used. And by the way, does anyone know what a "dandy" is?

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Great Place to Start, March 28, 2001

By	A. Hennessey "Art" (Somerville, MA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After spending years in High-Tech in the suburbs, I recently took a corporate job in downtown. Upon accepting the position, I learned that the dress code was corporate, meaning suits everyday! I went home to my closet and let my eyes wander over my collection of khakis and golf shirts with software company names on them. The job started in one week. I found Dress for Success to be my saviour.

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.