No suits required: Why credibility doesn’t always look corporate

Early January has a particular feel.

Fresh diaries. Quieter inboxes. A brief pause before the year properly gets underway. It’s often when people start asking how they want to show up — for their work, their clients and their communities.

When we ask ourselves that question, there’s one answer that never comes up.

Wearing suits.

At Frank & Earnest, we don’t wear them. And we don’t run our work like one either.

Not as a declaration or a new-year stance, but as an everyday choice that’s always been there. Because in our experience, credibility has very little to do with how corporate something looks — and everything to do with how well a job is done.

Somewhere along the line, credibility picked up a uniform. Pressed suit. Neutral palette. Corporate cadence. A particular way of speaking that sounds impressive but sometimes says very little at all.

And while that look works for some, it’s not the only way to be taken seriously – despite what certain boardrooms, pitch decks or LinkedIn feeds might suggest.

We work with organisations doing serious, meaningful work in health, community, education, agriculture and the arts. Many of them operate far from head offices and glass towers. Their work doesn’t look slick. It looks human. It’s messy, complex, emotionally charged and deeply important.

Trying to dress that work up in corporate costume often strips it of its power.

There’s a quiet confidence that comes from being the part, not just looking the part.

It’s the confidence of experience.
Of knowing your craft.
Of being willing to say, “This isn’t landing,” or “There’s a better way to tell this story,” or “Let’s slow down and get this right.”

We’ve learned that people don’t trust polish – they trust care.
They trust consistency.
They trust people who show up the same way every time.

In our experience, credibility comes from substance. From listening properly and understanding the room you’re in, and the community you’re speaking to. That’s why our approach is straightforward, honest and human. It’s why our writing sounds like real people. It’s why our process is built on listening before talking, and clarity before cleverness.

You don’t need a suit to be credible.
You need integrity.
You need curiosity.
You need the courage to speak plainly and stand by your work.

So no – no suits are required here at F&E.

Just thoughtful work, done well, for people who care about making a difference.

Bel