Dressing up matters
At a very young age, we are taught to disregard first impressions, or at least work hard to. There is an obvious reason why it is it is so tough : we are wired to do it. Besides the sense of occasion, clothes and appearance do impact how are perceived at first sight. The next sections explain why it dressing up matters.
Pitti Uomo Day 2 - First impressions do matter
The benefit of the doubt
When you first encounter a new individual, regardless of circumstances, you will make a lightning speed judgement on his/her character based on his or her appearance. This is what many refer to as a gut feeling. This behavior is almost impossible to stop, it is a defense mechanism. Even worse, once you are done, changing that first impression will take a tremendous effort, both on your side and the new individual’s. Therefor, having a good first impression is paramount in most situations, if only for efficiency. When given a good first impression, most people will be willing to give others the benefit of the doubt, meaning they will listen to what that person has to say. That doesn’t mean a suit gets you an easy sale, just that it most likely will be easier with a good first impression.
Suits and executive dressing can help tremendously with first impressions. Beyond the formality of the garments, there is reason why military, security and policeman uniforms look the way they do. They convey trust. This is not only given, it was studied. The origins of suits a tied directly to military uniforms, hence their similar effect. In most cases, dressing up does enhance your first impression (unless you are heading into a very casual environment, which could have the opposite effect. If you have ever watched the movie “Catch me if you can”, you would notice that though Frank do not necessarily know he is doing, just looking like he does helps. I’m not stating that you can or should con your way through life, just that dressing up matters and that it can impact first impressions.
Dressing your future
Beyond the visual and physical value of dressing up, the image you project impacts the way you think and feel as well. We all know the minds affects the body affects the mind, but the body also affects the mind. Dressing for occasions and looking your best does impact how you think, act and react to situations. Looking like you are successful certainly makes you more inclined to take decisions as if you were.
If you don’t believe me, look at this GQ video with Tom Ford : the face of the model says it all. “Dress your future and it will come to you”. That line might sound arrogant or wishful thinking, but it’s actually true for two reasons. First, dressing your future helps you project it and think you can achieve it. That “mind game” does impact how you act, stand and talk. It directly affects your confidence. Second, it changes the image you present to the world. It goes back to the benefit of the doubt : looking like you are what you believe to be.
In summary, dressing up does impacts both the way you look and the way you feel. I genuinely recommend you to try it, you will be most surprised with the results. Dressing up matters, it really does!
