f.o.b stands for ‘fresh off boat’, mostly used by a.b.c.d (american born confused desi’s) to describe desi travelers/students that make their first trips to the u.s. it’s considered a derogatory term, but it doesn’t bother me. i was a f.o.b once.
i have come across quite a few folks that have the telltale f.o.b signs. the following dressing tips not only ensure you don’t look like one, but they are in general good practices in professional appearance.
one of my bosses in the u.s. gave me these tips, so let me pass them on.
- wear a belt, especially when you tuck your shirt in. if possible, match the color of you belt with that of your shoes. get a brown belt and a black belt, you’d be fine. make sure that buckle is not that oversize cowboy stuff.
- don’t pair trousers with tennis shoes. it’s doing both injustice., nothing tells you are a geek than this pairing.
- wear black or brown shoes. and keep them polished! the shoes tend to get dirty on indian roads/offices, but the level of shine that is normal in the u.s. is much higher than your daily typical dust-off that is considered ‘chalta‘ in india.
- don’t wear white sox with leather shoes.. and try to match the sox color with either the shoe color or the pants color.
- if you are going to wear a jacket, don’t go for the over-the-top jacket styling. like a double-breasted suits. keep your suit very plain, very uneventful. and make sure it fits. if it’s too loose or too tight better not even wear one.
- getting a colorful tie is always risky. you might end up looking like a door-to-door salesman.
- and please, lose those ‘clubby‘ shirts with tons of styling like large collars, big cuffs, shiny zing bang, etc. and stay away from those bright summer/autumn colors., at least in formal office settings, nobody is interested in the style statements.
- finally, don’t wear ‘outerwear’ jackets at work. if it’s cold, get a tee-shirt below your dress shirt, and if still required, get a sweater. don’t for heaven’s sake wear those rain jackets while working in your cubicle.
12 responses so far ↓
1 someone // Sep 8, 2008 at 3:59 am
general grooming tips would be good too. given the heavy usage of garlicky masalas in Indian food, using deodorant and a cologne and breath mints would be a good way to avoid leaving a spicy-smelling cloud in ones wake. t
I really cannot imagine the overly formally dressed software engineers of India wearing anything less than a leather shoe to their Indian office. So how is it that an H1/L1 consultant often does the sneakers/dress-pants thing?
2 spandana // Sep 8, 2008 at 4:26 am
i didn’t think eating choices had any f.o.b quotient. something to ponder about.
the IT Services guys do try the formal dressy thing, but most don’t get the balance right (at least those that i see in passing). most dressing mis-steps are probably due to difference in the perception of what’s ‘formal enough’.
for those with modest backgrounds (mine included), simply tucking the shirt in quite a large signal of ‘formalness’. at that level, there isn’t a diff between tennis shoes and leather shoes, no?
3 fashionista // Sep 11, 2008 at 3:28 am
Always wear deodorant. There is nothing worse than sitting or standing next to someone who hasn’t bothered to wear any deodorant. And yes, the comment about not wearing white socks with black/brown shoes is key.
4 spandana // Sep 11, 2008 at 4:02 am
@fashionista true! but you dont perspire a lot in the US (at least outside of the hot states)., so it isnt’ as much of a problem there as it is here in india.
but no excuse! if you feel you are sweating it out, don’t assume its a-OK! worse yet, don’t be rubbing shoulders with people if you are sticky! i see that at movie halls, store lines, etc., not typically at air-conditioned offices. thank goodness.
5 fashionista // Sep 13, 2008 at 5:11 pm
I have more advice…
Don’t wear super tight t-shirts….the only only guys who pull that off live in South Beach Miami and they aren’t IT nerds.
Don’t tell people in the office that you don’t cook and that it’s the wife’s responsibility since she doesn’t work. That only raises the ire of people who believe in equality…go figure.
Don’t wear a jean jacket with jeans. That’s very 1980s.
Don’t just eye women at bars and clubs as if you’re interested….if you are too chicken to ask them to dance or to talk to them. I personally see this all the time.
6 Pranay // Sep 15, 2008 at 11:27 am
Yes, I’ve been onsite, to the USA.. when i was first timer, I got lots to learn from this career forum called www.OfficeChai.com ..
Indians live in their own foxy community. but i made an american friend in my neighborhood.
7 spandana // Sep 16, 2008 at 6:15 pm
nice way to plug, pranay
8 Sahana Charan // Oct 2, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Hi Spandana,
This is Sahana Charan, special correspondent, Bangalore Mirror newspaper. I was surfing the net and came upon your blog on valley chai. I was specially interested in your thoughts about Bangalore and felt that they were well written. We run a column every day that features blog posts that lend a peek into Bangalore life. I was wondering if we could use your blogs. The newspaper will give you credit for your blog.
Please tell me what you think
Cheers
sahana
9 spandana // Oct 2, 2008 at 3:41 pm
sure, go for it.
- spandana
10 oruvan // Oct 5, 2008 at 4:50 pm
@fashionista
Don’t tell people in the office that you don’t cook and that it’s the wife’s responsibility since she doesn’t work. That only raises the ire of people who believe in equality…go figure.
>> that’s okay. In indian culture, householf responsibilities have been primarily the domain of the lady of the house. THe mistake is thinking that that’s somehow inferior. If that raises some amru’s ire, ask him to put a sock on it/go fly a kite/etc etc.
Don’t just eye women at bars and clubs as if you’re interested….if you are too chicken to ask them to dance or to talk to them. I personally see this all the time.
>> most desis who come here have not been raised to date the opposite sex from age 10. Nor they have been raised to dance in clubs. However, the pure sexual attractiveness of the women they see in clubs is not something to be ignored, as they too, FOB or not, are full blooded males. So let’s forgive them for not knowing the proper way to satisfy their wants in the way of the society here ( several dates, expensive dinners, sleep with, and break up when done, typically). Let’s forgive them, shall we? After all, post some experimentation involving some white flesh, most of them will go on to become good husbands and fathers.
11 spandana // Oct 6, 2008 at 8:51 am
@oruvan “If that raises some amru’s ire, ask him to put a sock on it/go fly a kite/etc etc.”
the mistake you are referring to is very valid. but if a desi is in amru-land, the rules of the amru apply. its desi’s responsibility to be sensitive to american sentiments.
about eyeing women - it’s considered a coy and cutish behavior in many desi cultures. isn’t it more romantic to have a dance of glances, rather than jumping in with straight/lame pick up line?
12 oruvan // Oct 18, 2008 at 5:41 am
@spandana
“but if a desi is in amru-land, the rules of the amru apply. its desi’s responsibility to be sensitive to american sentiments.”
suuureee.. even if the amru is commenting on some aspect of the desi culture that should be no business of his.. the desi can then forget his background and agree with what the amru says.. becos it is amruland.. right..
there’s always some such thing, right? either it’s the amru’s land, or the amru’s project, or the amru’s company, or the amru’s money.. or if you dig deep into it, probably, the amru’s skin..
Ask Narayana Murthy. He can tell you why not to sing your own national anthem in your own country when your own president is visiting your own company.. because a few amru trainees( who are reporting to you and visiting your company and should theoretically be respecting the host country etc. etc) are present and the singing might *gasp* offend them. He would have happily sung a $$ national anthem if he could. For him nationalism is required only when recruiting students cheaply.
Looks like the British still rule over us in various forms.. and it will continue as long as this sucking on the $$$/euro teat continues. Even now the most prestigious job out of an IIM is (maybe not right now, still) in wall street, not in dalal street.
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