I wholeheartedly agree with this long-overdue thread; hero == Joe Nutter. Business casual is the absolute minimum for a tournament director; staffers have a teensy more leeway at
non-national tournaments.
re: what is appropriate for staffing a tournament
my architecture firm's employee manual wrote:Business casual attire for men includes casual collared shirts, golf shirts, turtlenecks, and sweaters. Men's shirttails must be neatly tucked in unless the shirt is clearly designed to be worn otherwise. Appropriate business casual slacks for men include "Dockers" styles, khakis, twills, and corduroys. Socks are required for men. Business casual attire for women includes dresses, skirts, slacks, blouses, knit tops, and sweaters. Men and women may wear neat and tailored jeans on Fridays and other special occasions determined by senior management.
If your pants have belt loops, you should be wearing a belt. If your pants don't have belt loops, you aren't wearing them.
Tops not mentioned in this thread that I've worn as business casual: mock turtlenecks, real turtlenecks, both of the previous with a matching sweater or cardigan, just a nice sweater w/ an undershirt*
*your undershirt should not be visible unless you know what you're doing**
**you don't know what you're doing
re: shopping:
Men: know your neck, sleeve, waist, and inseam measurements. This makes shopping a whole lot easier and less time consuming.
Kohl's. As mentioned, Kohl's is awesome: shop the clearance racks. You will find suit separates, nice sweaters, decent button-ups, and nice turtlenecks (have I mentioned turtlenecks are awesome?). Out-of-season clearance sales can be very generous.
Amazon. Amazon has fashion deals
all the time. Once you know your fit and the various fits of clothes, you can score some sweet swag on the cheap.
re: shoes:
Sneakers are totally fine
as long as they are (a) not white and (b) look decent. Black sneakers, especially, can go fine with a dressy outfit.
But, the best way to pull off a dressy outfit is to invest in some quality shoes. Perhaps I'm an exception, but I often notice people's footwear when it's out of place.
re: matching:
Do not come to a tournament in 5 different bright colors that all clash. Make generous use of neutrals.
Match your socks with your pants. Match your shoes with your pants. Match your belt with your shoes. Don't combine brown and black.
This chart is a suitable reference.
also, all of the above is meant to be broken once you know what you're doing.
Cody Voight, VCU ’14.