Is "Dress For Success" Still Mandatory?

Last week, in the post "Too Young to be Top Gun" I counseled a 23-year old CEO to find a style of dress that would both communicate his youth and energy and still look business-like.

Some of the comments, however, strongly recommended the "Dress for Success" look: conservative suit or sport jacket, tie, white or neutral shirt, polished shoes, etc. But I'm wondering whether the traditional "Dress for Success" look is going the way of all flesh.

I mean, isn't it just a little bit silly that businessmen are still dressing in outfits that are pretty much identical to what businessmen were wearing in 1875?

(Note: I'm not going into the challenges that women face dressing professionally because that's WAY outside my experience.)

I do know for a fact that the "dress for success" look is considered laughable inside some high tech firms, where the assumption is that, if you're wearing a suit, you're probably an empty one. In most engineering groups, the scuttlebutt is that neckties strangle the flow of blood to the brain.

In the entertainment business, I've heard that a suit communicates that you're not a "creative" and therefore not a real player. (A tux on opening night is a different story, of course...)

And there are parts of the country where it's considered acceptable in business to wear a bolo tie. Now, I happen to think bolo ties make people look like they're trying out for a bit part in a low-budget Western, but who am I to judge?

And I've also noticed that in government and academia, it's apparently OK to wear a bow tie. I recent saw a professor at a concert who was wearing a tight-fitted gray suit and a red bow tie. Goin' for the Pee Wee Herman look, apparently.

Anyway, there are plenty of firms out there where "casual Fridays" are every day of the week. So here's my question for you:

[poll id=61]

READERS: This issue could REALLY use some real-world perspective, so please feel free to comment.