Get All Access for $5/mo

The Stars of Shark Tank on How to Dress for Success Class, comfort and swagger. Some things never go out of style, except for this big business fashion faux pas that Kevin O'Leary and Daymond John say you should avoid.

By Kim Lachance Shandrow

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

When it comes to dressing for success, you'd better look the part or you might not get the part at all. Because people definitely do judge a book by its cover, especially in business.

That's the basic but wise common thread of business fashion advice from celebrity Shark Tank investors Kevin O'Leary and Daymond John. It's simple: Dress strictly according to your profession and position, and always dress to kill. Both sharp-dressed Sharks agree that this is the single most important rule to follow when suiting up for the work day ahead, and for your career overall.

"Your look really needs to be true to your profession, head to toe," John recently told Entrepreneur.com on the set of Shark Tank. The millionaire founder of FUBU was dressed to the nines at the time, rocking a black velvet ultra-formal, peak-notched suit coat over a wine shirt buttoned to the top and a meticulously folded matching maroon pocket square. Surprisingly, the menswear mogul went without a necktie. He did, however, don his trademark marble-sized diamond earrings.

Related: Daymond John of 'Shark Tank' on the No. 1 Thing Entrepreneurs Need

"Don't come as a construction worker dressed in silk. I need to see you in some overalls with a hard hat on. If you're a coder in the tech world and you walk into the room in a nice three-piece suit, I won't believe that you're in a dark room for four straight days coding. I'm just not buying it. Always dress to what is accurate to who and what you are."

John said the same doubly applies if you work in the financial arena. If you're "in a suit that's not fitted and you have a bunch of jewelry on," he'll suspect "you'll also be also loose with my money. Not good."

Fellow Shark Kevin O'Leary, clad in a classic black suit and tie, and a crisp white shirt adorned with elegant silver ball collar pins and cufflinks, shares John's traditional views on dressing for business success. "You have to dress as your clients expect to see you, to their expectations," he told us between Shark Tank takes.

Related: Shark Tank's Daymond John on Lessons From His Worst Mistakes

The shrewd Canadian mutual funds magnate, who also goes by the moniker "Mr. Wonderful," said the days of dressing down in the financial sector are dead and gone, and he doesn't miss them a bit. "In financial services, for a while during the tech boom, it was cool not to wear a tie, or to dress down with jeans and a coat. It was awful."

Now, he said, people respect "a crisp, clean, unfettered disciplined look, like what I wear every day." We couldn't describe O'Leary's day to day business apparel better. "That's my uniform. My look is what I am, who I am. I'm very comfortable that way and it works."

John said you can still look good, even if you're a newbie entrepreneur on a shoestring budget.

Related: Shark Tank's Daymond John on Thinking Big

"It's not about having money," he said. "If you have a suit that only cost $150, go the extra mile and get it tailored. Shine your shoes. Make sure you manicure your nails. It's the simple things that people notice, that take you far."

Watch Daymond John and Kevin O'Leary in action, and dressed for success, no doubt, on the premiere of Shark Tank Season Six, airing this Friday, Sept. 26, from 8 to 10 p.m. ET/PT on your local ABC station.

Related: How Russell Simmons Plans to Style and Inspire Millenials Through Fashion

Kim Lachance Shandrow

Former West Coast Editor

Kim Lachance Shandrow is the former West Coast editor at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was a commerce columnist at Los Angeles CityBeat, a news producer at MSNBC and KNBC in Los Angeles and a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times. She has also written for Government Technology magazine, LA Yoga magazine, the Lowell Sun newspaper, HealthCentral.com, PsychCentral.com and the former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Coop. Follow her on Twitter at @Lashandrow. You can also follow her on Facebook here

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Marketing

He Pitched His First Business at 12 and Sold a Company for 8 Figures When He Was 24. Here's This Gen Z Marketing Expert's Next Big Move.

Griffin Hadrill built a marketing empire working with artists like Justin Bieber and Lil Nas X. Learn how he tapped into Gen Z's digital culture and turned viral campaigns into a business model.

Business News

Apple Is Adding ChatGPT to iPhones This Week. Here's How It Works.

ChatGPT will take over questions that Siri can't answer.

Growing a Business

5 Effective Strategies to Boost Your Business's Online Presence

Boosting your online presence in 2025 is the key to success for businesses looking to grow. Working on your branding and reputation management is important to drive more sales and improve conversion.

Leadership

As a Leader, Take These 5 Steps to Bridge the Gap Between Innovation and Execution

Companies that want to turn ideas into action must align their people and listen to their customers.

Growing a Business

How to Spot Trends and Anticipate Market Shifts Before Your Competition

Discover how to identify disruptive trends before your competitors by mastering the art of anticipating market shifts. Learn strategies for staying ahead and gaining a competitive edge in business.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.