Men Used to Have Wives. Now They Have Stylists.

livemint.com:

Jay Buys’s wife changed his life with 10 words: “You know, you don’t have to just wear band T-shirts." Shirts from Nine Inch Nails and Thrice—for years, this was the bulk of Buys’s wardrobe. Were they awesome? Yes. Did they make him look like the CEO of a successful web design firm? Not quite.

“If I looked better, I would’ve felt better," said Buys, 44, of San Diego. So he hired someone to teach him to look better. For most, the term “stylist" brings to mind a celebrity dresser putting Timothée Chalamet in a bombastic red carpet outfit.

But there is also an industry of white-collar stylists helping hapless corporate types find the right shirts and trousers for their daily lives. For Buys, that guy was Patrick Kenger. Kenger runs Pivot, a personal styling service, charging as much as $5,000 to remake your wardrobe.

Kenger’s job is part Marie Kondo, part therapist and large part a personal shopper. He helped Buys retire the band tees at work, subbing them with Suitsupply blazers and Bonobos trousers. The switch had a Superman-bursting-out-of-the-phone-booth effect on Buys.

“​​I look like I know what I’m doing." Strangers seem to think so, too. He was startled when a random 20-something at the grocery store saw his leather John Varvatos jacket and chirped, “I like your drip, bro!" Today, strivers in tech, law and finance are wealthier than ever, but corporate dress codes have collapsed. The hoodie-clad billionaire has become a cliché.

In the C-suite, Loro Piana sneakers have trounced dress shoes. Fleece vests have vanquished ties. At the same time, we’re in a new era of boardroom boasting.