When it comes to suits and ties, there’s no question about: The two are a match made in heaven. They go together like peanut butter and jelly. But what happens when you elect to go tieless for the day?

In reality, it doesn’t matter if you’re a tie loving guy or not a tie guy at all.

For most men, wearing a suit without a tie can feel rather awkward and unnatural at first.

Truthfully, that’s normal. It happens to a lot of guys out there. Perhaps you’ve worried yourself into thinking you’ll be the only personal without a tie. Or perhaps you feel you’ll end up dressing too casual for a specific occasion.

Don’t sweat it. When it comes to funerals, weddings, luxury restaurants, formal events, and professional environments for example, you’ll want to wear one. For everything else, going tieless is fare game. By this I mean it’s perfectly fine to wear a suit without a tie when it comes to business casual, industry conferences and seminars, dates on the weekend or weekday, and so on.

Think of it this way: If the occasion or environment you’re attending requires you to show a higher level of respect, then wear one. For example: If your boss wears a tie, don’t be a dofus and think that just because you’re lower on the totem pole, you can easily avoid one.

Now, what happens when the majority of your workplace wears dress shirts and jeans, and you want to wear a suit casually? Don’t worry, I’ve been there. You’ve probably worried about standing out like a sore thumb either in the present moment or the past.

In reality, there’s a lot of truth behind the old saying, “dress for success.” Even if you’re the only person who sets the standard in the office, it is still far better to be first than last. As the last person to hop on board, almost always is the first to be fired. The truth is, you can’t go wrong with business casual if you’re in a workplace that lacks a dress code. A suit without a tie will set you miles apart from the rest of the pack in a scenario like that. Who cares what you co-workers think? So what, you are an overachiever? When the boss is ultimately the one who signs your paycheck and bumps you up the ladder, none of that matters!