In 2014-15, after having spent many years running my own small business, i decided that my piecemeal wardrobe needed a long-overdue upgrade. It had been assembled piecemeal over the last several years, but was not presenting well in the rarefied circles in which i was now associating. I started shopping carefully, learning and educating myself along the way. it was a gradual process, and took about 18 months. Living in Boston (USA), I needed an assortment of clothes for the different temperatures of the four seasons. I went thru three different wardrobe sets before I finally found the variety I wanted. I discovered what good quality was, what presented well, and what fit well. I learned how to buy top-quality product at competitive prices. Mistakes were made, and MANY items were returned. Product quality kept improving. I returned over 30% of the items i purchased (mostly from premium-brand websites). I actually had to learn how to dress, how to assemble outfits correctly and how to present for different occasions. Not only am I now consistently one of the best-dressed guys in the room, but my personal tastes and sensibilities make a refined statement. First impressions are now more positive (who knew), and people actually comment on the quality or attractiveness of my jacket, tie, shirt etc. I upgraded to look better, to be more effective and to feel more confident about what i was wearing. In the process, I found that it creates new ground rules. People seem more interested in what I have to say. The effort and expense I put into my new wardrobe shows purpose and intent. I now communicate with more confidence. I look better than my competition (i am a management consultant who talks to many people in the course of a week), and I no longer dress tech-geek casual. All in all, well worth the expense (and more importantly the effort) to dress with the same commitment with which i automate companies.

Hickey-Freeman.