The Eye of the Beholder... What Do They See in You?

It's not fair, but it's life! No matter how expert you are. No matter your IQ, you are first judged by your appearance. The American Institute of Men's and Boy's Wear used the, "Dress Right. You Can't Afford Not To!" slogan which was brilliantly honest. We all wish it weren't true, but once you are labeled in any manner it's tough to impossible to remove. Funny, it seems true especially for bad labels, unfortunately you can more easily remove a positive label, with one false move, but that's another discussion. Even those down on their luck tend to judge others by appearance; distrusting someone "too well dressed". We've even coined words to describe someone. Ever heard the phrase, "he's a suit"?

Look, we all tend to like comfortable clothing and most of us seem more and more comfortable in jeans and a tee shirt (or blouse) and flip flops. I often hear statements like, "I've just got to be me". While I'm an advocate for being yourself, I'm more a champion of being the best you you can be. Today when so many are looking for jobs it amazes me to hear the argument, "they'll just have to take me as I am".

When I was in college I visited a local job center. I remember as I walked in the door, to the left was a full length mirror with the caption, "Would you hire you"? That simple message has stayed with me for over 15 years. They were stressing that we were selling ourselves. In business, almost any job is sales. No? Consider this. The CEO, office manager, assistant, or runner all represent the firm they work for and part of their job is to encourage potential clients to do business with the company or current clients to continue.

You might say, "but I don't work in front of the public". Fine, but do you talk to them by phone? Do you work with or talk to co-workers? The way we dress affects how we feel and that is reflected in how we speak. Just as a smile can affect the tone of our voice, the way we dress can litterally come through on the phone. If how we look affects those around us, then it doesn't much matter if we see the public daily or just make the occasional appearance to other staff members. Every impression matters.

The way you look affects how you think. Most any stage actor can tell you that although they rehearse for weeks before they go before an audience, once they dress in their full costume from makeup to shoes, it's easier to be their character. Take a good look at schools, top companies, churches and the military and you'll find dress codes. These aren't merely to control subordinates, but to instill pride, correct behavior and most importantly encourage better thinking. So consider carefully who you want to be and dress accordingly.

A golden nugget:

"Pay twice as much and buy half as many". Apply it to everything. When it comes to appearance, it's far more important to have quality over quantity. When you follow this advice, you'll find:

1. The clothes last twice as long and show their quality while they last.
2. What you buy will be in style longer. This is especially true for business attire.
3. You'll typically get better advice since those working with higher quality usually know their product better.

My wife's grandma used to always say, "Only buy quality. Cheap never lasts". Turns out it was sound advice. In the end looking neat and clean goes so far and costs so little in comparison. So "Dress Right. You Can't Afford Not To"!

Inspired by, The Magic of Thinking Big, David J. Schwartz