‘Clothes Make The Man’

Last year, I was to engage a Belbin Team Role Workshop for Emircom at Abu Dhabi and had to reach there by 9’O Clock (UAEST) in the morning. I usually pack up my executive suit in which I have to appear for my sessions and smarten up just before the sessions to look my best. But this time it almost seemed impossible given that I’d reach there only a few minutes before the session. Any delay on the way can gravely rob me off my time and patience. So I decided to deck up in my formal outlook rather than opt for casuals for the journey. My only relief was that I’d be in AC throughout the journey and took extra care that my outfit remained crease-free. My apparel was a perfectly coordinated array of expensive suit and tie topped off with a highly expensive Swarovski pen, which was gifted by my friend Mr. Shaji George from Ahmedabad, India, shining in my pocket; a very palatable appearance on the whole.

When I arrived the Airport at 3.00 am (IST) for my 04.20 am flight the crowd at the airport was far enough to deflate me. The Hajj season was on and there were almost six flights ready to take off that morning. The airport was a sea of travelers and visitors and the length of the queue was a thunderbolt on me. Lacking options I moved up to the end of the line dragging my two trolley bags after me incessantly praying for a miracle. I did a mental calculation of the time I’d lose on this everlasting line and peeped through the side to inspect the progress.

Did I pray for a miracle? Because here it was! I saw the security guard, a Sardarji, signaling me to advance to the counter and I got entry bypassing that outstretched queue. “May be they were all in a single group and might take a long time”, I justified to myself.

Inspecting my surroundings I realized that there were only a few people clad up for business and the majority was off to Hajj. This came to my advantage again when I got through two other sets of such enormous lines. It wasn’t long before an officer from Air India approached me with high respect and inquired which flight I was going to travel in. When I replied I was to take the Etihad, he signaled a lady who helped me evade all other possible hurdles that would have swallowed my valuable time. “This isn’t about the Hajis flooding the airport, this is my guise!” I realized with a shock. My outfit and deportment had done the trick, I was a well-preferred customer. What swept me away was the humble behavior of a security guard who has once had a clash with me. He was desperate to offer his help.

The magic cast by my attire was not yet over. After all the security checks were smoothly and pleasingly dealt with, the personnel from the Etihad approached me inquiring if I’d like to upgrade from the economy class to the executive class. I’ve always preferred the economy class to the executive for shorter journeys and so I declined the proposal.  The lady who had help me escape the grueling crowd now came to me with the most pleasing news,

“Sir, we are taking the privilege of upgrading you to the executive class, a superior version. We are happy to do this for you free of cost”.

“Not bad”, I thought and readily accepted the offer. And to think, all this was because of my impeccable grooming! This impeccable style of grooming, we term as “Power-Dressing” and my experience serve as a perfect example to define the term. Quoting from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “the apparel oft proclaims the man”.

 I intend to extend this post to elaborate on the science of “Power-Dressing”.