Whether you’re prepared to admit it or not, you assess someone according to their appearance. It’s a primal judgement we cannot suppress. Being decently groomed and wearing neat, clean clothes are subconscious signifiers of self-respect and solid self-awareness, which in turn suggest intelligence, sociability and a good work ethic.
In a scenario where you’re interviewing someone for a position at your company, there is no question that if one candidate shows up wearing an ill-fitting suit with the tie halfway down his crotch or flapping at his sternum and his trousers puddling around his shoes, while another is wearing a crisp white shirt, a pair of fitted trousers and polished shoes, you are going to go with the second guy, even if he is less qualified.
This is a truth you might not want to accept because it appears shallow and goes against the whole “Don’t judge a book by its cover” thing we are taught at school. However, an individual’s choice to dress well goes beyond the fit of their clothes or the length of their tie. And it has nothing to do with money because it is more than possible to dress well on a budget, just as much as there are very wealthy and successful people who dress terribly.
A well-dressed man or woman is no accident. Understanding what to wear, how to wear it (and when) is honed by observation, research, trial-and-error and, again, an awareness of self. You’re aware of your body, of your personality, and you’re aware of what suits you and what doesn’t; you care enough to look in the mirror before you leave home not because you’re vain but because you want to present yourself to the world the way you want to. It’s about self-respect, as well as respect for others around you. It’s also about confidence—confidence that what you’re wearing is properly put together and appropriate for the situation, and the confidence you get from dressing well.
Studies from UK and Turkey-based teams of Psychology Today have confirmed that the way we dress has a significant effect on how others perceive us, and that those perceptions happen in an instant. In their research (involving more than 300 men and women) psychologists flashed three-second images of men wearing either bespoke suits or very similar ones off-the-rack (i.e. still well-fitted but subtly different). The faces of all the men were blurred so as not to have facial expressions affect the outcomes.
As I’m sure you can guess, the men wearing bespoke suits scored more favourably than the others. But it wasn’t about the clothes. It wasn’t about physical attractiveness (remember, the faces were concealed). It was about the emotional response the better-suited man evoked—he was rated more confident, successful, flexible and a higher-earner.
In another study, 129 females were shown pictures of faceless female models dressed in varying attire and asked to rate them according to intelligence, confidence, trustworthiness, responsibility, authority and organisation. In the end, the less ‘provocative’, smarter and more conservatively-dressed women rated most highly and were considered the most competent.
Studies have confirmed that the way we dress has a significant effect on how others perceive us.
Some might not like the fact that humans base their initial opinions of a person based on their sartorial appearance. Of course, it isn’t a failsafe representation—you get incompetent and lazy people who dress impeccably; the same goes for those who are corrupt or sham artists—but the put-together man or woman is inevitably going to command more respect and attention than the slob and is statistically more likely to be more successful, especially in the business world. Imagine going to an investor or a bank to establish a relationship or ask for a business loan, dressed in shorts and flip-flops? You just wouldn’t do it. So whether you’re just popping into the office or have a day when you’re not expecting any meetings, the same philosophy should apply—dress the part.
Interestingly, other studies have shown that dressing well acts as a motivator and can even release more testosterone, which plays a big role in your ambition and drive. The idea is that you’re less likely to make excuses or be tempted to slack off at work if you’ve gone to the effort of putting together a neat, clean and well-fitted outfit. You just feel like you should be working.
So have you checked in the mirror recently? Is that suit you had made ten years ago still fitting well, or is it looking careworn? Have you outgrown that wacky tie? Are you having to undo an extra button or two to make that waistcoat fit? Maybe it’s time for an overhaul. Who knows what a little reinvention might do for your business and your sense of wellbeing.
- Tell us—do you agree that clothes form an important part of success?