February 12, 2026

Business by the Book

Genesis 41:14  Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.

Joseph was falsely accused and put into prison. Even though he was incarcerated, Joseph kept a good spirit and rose to a leadership position. He was forgotten by a man that promised to help him. This did not harden Joseph, he simply kept on using his God given gift of management and administration. Then, finally, he was to be brought before Pharaoh. Joseph knew this was his opportunity for freedom, he knew this meeting was very important to his future.

So, he dressed appropriately. He groomed himself, changed his clothes, and confidently appeared before Pharaoh. Someone once said, “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.”  Joseph knew that a proper appearance was important to successfully winning Pharaoh’s support.

Dressing appropriately seems to be a forgotten aspect of society. For example, I like to wear cowboy boots, always have. In Fort Worth this is an acceptable style of manly footwear even with suits. Often while preaching I will wear French cuff shirts and cowboy boots, sounds like the theme of a bad country song doesn’t it? Sometimes I even wear the big buckle and one of my five cowboy hats. Again, in Fort Worth, no problem! However, when I was in business our corporate headquarters were just outside of New York City. In the last few years of employment with that company I had to make a monthly visit there. I knew better than to wear my boots, buckle and hat, I dressed in conservative business suits and black winged tipped shoes.

Business dress which is universally accepted in Fort Worth is not universally accepted in New York. Business dress in California is different from Chicago. My western apparel may not have caused everyone I met to judge me wrongly, but it may have caused one or two to do so. That one or two may be the important decision makers, individuals that I needed to influence. Why take the risk of alienating a prospect just to “be myself” or let my inner cowboy out? To me it wasn’t worth it, business is tough enough without inserting unnecessary roadblocks.

I always found that western attire was always welcomed in social settings in any part of the country, sometimes it even served to differentiate myself from others. But in business meetings with individuals I had never met it was a risk I was not willing to take. I think Joseph knew that his prison clothes were not appropriate, his unshaven beard was not appropriate, not in the presence of the Pharaoh. It’s a lesson that today’s society is in dire need of. Perhaps the old book Dress for Success needs to be revisited. The philosophies of “I’m my own person” or “People should just accept me as I am,” that seem to permeate culture today demonstrate a lack of understanding reality. People do judge others based on looks. Perhaps it shouldn’t be this way, but it is. Billionaires may be able to afford a “take it or leave it” attitude. But those of us who are not yet at that economic level still need to make a good first impression and leave a positive mental image. The Duck Dynasty boys may be able to get by with the way they look, it’s their shtick. Unless you make your living in the woods calling ducks, I’d suggest that a more conservative approach to business dress be adopted.

Dr. William Howe