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There were moments during last Thursday's televised Ontario election debate when Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty could not help but use his hands as a non-verbal way to defend himself from Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory and NDP Leader Howard Hampton (for the record, there was no punching, or even punchy dialogue, that night).
Between the finger-pointing and policy jousting, however, Mr. McGuinty attempted composure at the podium by placing his left hand in his trouser pocket. If there was something in there (a lucky coin, a love note from his wife, ChapStick?), he didn't fidget with it.
Hence, if nothing more, the Ontario premier showed good "pocketiquette" which is just as important for professionals as it is for politicos.
Giving consideration to what you put in your pockets and how you use them may not be a sartorial priority. I'd much prefer people start thinking about a coat that looks smart enough to wear over a suit (and stay tuned; we'll address that in the weeks to come).
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But pocketiquette (my quirky coinage) is important for two reasons. First, hands in pockets can project various messages - often unintentionally - and co-workers may be quick to make assumptions. Second, putting more in them than necessary can change the way a garment looks and can create strange bulging and bulkiness.
Leah Morrigan, a men's image specialist in Toronto, gave Mr. McGuinty a thumbs-up for communicating "relaxation and ease" and offers a contrasting example of someone jangling loose change in their pocket. "Irritating" is how she described such behaviour.
"Why men can't keep their hands still in their pockets baffles me; it suggests nervousness."
When both hands are inside pant pockets, the unspoken message can be smug or withdrawn depending on the person's other body language (good posture versus shrugged shoulders). Clothing reinforces how confusing these instinctual codes can be.
More recently, shifts in clothing trends have added a new wrinkle to pocketiquette. Suits are slimmer than they have been in years, which means some men will find they don't have room for their hands, much less keys or a cellphone.
Flat-front pants preclude the use of side pockets for anything except a couple of cards and some twenties, said Damon Allan, founder of Alexander Steel Image Consulting for men whose offices are in Toronto and Hamilton. "Things will be more noticeable, seeing that the jacket is probably not long enough to cover the depth of the pocket."
Hard to imagine you'd want something irregular pushing out from your leg, and it's safe to say cargo pants won't be accepted as corporate-level office attire any time soon.
"Men just have to scale back if they decide to go with the skinny suit," said Mr. Allan, who has divided up his keys instead of always carrying one cumbersome key ring.
Much to your wallet's dismay, the back pocket is becoming an inhospitable home, especially if it's one of those fat folding versions.
"We stuff our wallets with receipts, ATM printouts and business cards, plus the regular credit cards and IDs which inflate the wallet to look like a half-pound burger," said Ms. Morrigan. "When this goes into the back pocket, the weight of it causes the trouser seat to unattractively sag, and adds an unbalanced rear bump to the profile."
But this can be avoided simply by putting larger items in the inside lower left pocket of a jacket, suggested Mr. Allan. The one caveat is that the jacket's fabric must be heavy enough to withstand the weight of the cellphone or small stack of business cards.
A leather card case is more compact and supple than a hard one of plastic or metal. Pocketiquette gets particularly posh if you opt for one from Hermès ($300 to $900).
And rather than a wallet, consider using a money clip that secures bills and a few cards rather than having them loose in a pocket (don't even entertain the option of a rubber band). Tiffany & Co. carries a few clips that range from $80 (sterling silver with a folding pocket knife) to $1,800 (for 18-karat gold).
If I had one of those, I'd probably never take my hand out of my pocket. Women, in fact, have slightly different pocketiquette, as Suitable will explore next week. In the meantime, just think how the most expensive money clip could probably buy a year's worth of half-pound burgers. Lunch money, indeed.
