Dress Sharp on the Cheap

Like it or not, people judge you by the way you look, and how well you’re dressed matters on the job. If you want to look like a million bucks on a budget, career advice columnist Penelope Trunk says a great tailor is key.

Buy a just-barely-okay suit and take it to a good tailor. The thing you pay for in an expensive suit is fabric that doesn’t wrinkle and that lays well on your body. Since you are having your cheap fabric tailored, it will lay well on your body. And if you don’t sit a lot before the interview, it won’t wrinkle: Voila, an expensive suit that wasn’t expensive.

Classically geeks are horrendous at looking sharp on the job, but let’s prove the world wrong. What are your best tips for maintaining a good look with minimal effort? Tell us in the comments.