When is it appropriate to where a suit with no tie? At age 47, I find myself not wanting to wear a tie. Some of my colleagues give me a “hard time” when I show up in a nice suit, nice dress shirt, and NO tie. At the same time, they are in a shirt and tie – no jacket. I think my suite/no tie looks as good as their Shirt/Tie/No Jacket combo. Thoughts?

I agree, I believe that a nice suit, shirt and no tie, is as nice as a shirt/tie with no jacket. In fact, a jacket makes a look more formal or authoritative depending upon the color:  dark is more authoritative and a light color is more approachable. One rule to follow when wearing a suit with no tie: do not wear a solid, traditional white shirt; regular color or button down collar. This can look as if you just took off your tie. This rule goes with your solid blue and gray shirts as well. If the shirts have an unusual texture, design, or woven patterns, then you can break the color rule.

Another consideration:  when wearing a suit with no tie, consider the shoes. Avoid a very conservative lace-up wingtip shoe. This shoe calls for a dressier look IE, tie. A more fashion-forward shoe is best. But be careful about what the fashion industry calls acceptable and what is acceptable in the business world!

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