Staying Fresh In The Office – Don Draper Style
In an early episode of Mad Men, Don Draper shows up for work wearing the same clothes as the day before, having not made it home to his wife the previous night. Inside his office, Don opens a desk drawer to reveal a stack of crisp, identical white button-up shirts.
He peels off the old shirt and reaches for a new one. This simple change is enough to recharge him for another day of chain smoking, highballing, and professional brilliance. Such is the power of the at-work clothes stash.
I’m not saying you should stuff an entire desk drawer with identical shirts, unless you, like Don, frequently wake up in clothes that reek of stale smoke and strange perfume. However, I do recommend that you have a stash of clothing and related essentials at work.
If you have enough space in your office then consider keeping a complete change of clothes featuring these items:
- Spare suit
- White shirt
- Necktie
- Trousers
- Spare belt and shoelaces (Just incase they break, these are essential items for men)
These supplies will allow you to dress as high or low as needed. Put everything on and you’re ready for a surprise client meeting, but you can also scale down to casual.
And here is another tip. It’s an absolute certainty that at some point every man will end up with marinara sauce on his tie—and there’s no shame in that. That’s where the trusty stain stick comes in. It’s a must-have for your desk-side stash, along with the Dopp Kit.
Dopp kits keep your toothbrush, nail clippers, and other toiletries in one place. Ensure that in your Dopp kit you have cologne and deodorant along with shaving cream/razors or perhaps an electric razor and most importantly tooth brush and a mirror for that file check of your pompadour.
There you have it: all the clothes and basic tools to stay ready for whatever comes your way at work and after work.