Do you wear your heart on your sleeve or a company logo?

I had to dig deep into my archive this week to remind myself when, as a radio DJ, I interviewed the Scottish pop duo “Gallagher and Lyle”. It was January 31st of all dates at “Guildford Civic Hall” while they were midway through their “Breakaway” tour plugging the album of the same name. Their best-known hit song, “Heart on My Sleeve”, was about the inability to hide their feelings and just let their emotions show.?

Strangely, I was reminded of this song when I read some research in a recent edition of the journal “Evolutionary Psychological Science”. Yes, I know, it’s odd that an academic paper from a researcher at the University of Michigan could trigger a thought about an incident in my youth. But it did.?

The research was about clothing that had logos visible on them. It demonstrated that we ascribe emotions to people who wear such clothing. Yet, as Gallagher and Lyle’s ditty demonstrated, we can see the feelings of people who simply show how they feel without the need for any supporting factors. Someone who does wear their heart on their sleeve doesn’t need a heart logo to tell you. You know.?

The Michigan study discovered that when people wear an item of clothing with a logo, we believe things about them that might or might not be accurate. In one of the elements of the study, logos made others think that the individual was trying to make themselves more romantically appealing. The idea was that these individuals were, as psychology puts it, “prioritising mating behaviour” over being a good parent. In other words, people who opt for brands with logos on their clothing are seen as being more concerned with being attractive to others.

It’s pretty much the same as studies which show that people who opt to display their luxury brand purchases are also perceived as trying to impress others with their sexual prowess. Of course, this might not be why someone wears a Nike shirt or shows off their Rolex watch. It’s the way we think about them.

Our perception of the emotional reasons someone wears branded items is bound to affect how we behave with them. This is a cognitive bias known as the “Halo Effect”. We base our ideas about other elements of an individual on a single idea. For example, if you find someone physically attractive, you are more likely to believe they are kind or intelligent, even if that is not actually the case. Hence, if we think that someone is wearing branded items because they want to be more appealing to a potential sexual partner, then we could devalue their other personality factors as well.?

So, how does this work when the brand logo on the clothing is the individual’s employer? Uniforms with logos could affect our relationship with the people working for a company. Logos must be present on work uniforms, otherwise the clothing becomes a taxable benefit. However, for employers, those logos are causing a potential problem. The company will tell us it’s all about brand promotion, but customers could attribute negative characteristics to the company’s staff simply because the logos are present.

If you work alone, you could have a similar issue. You go to a meeting with your fancy branded leather notebook and your obviously expensive pen. In one sense, this helps you fit in with your high-level client. However, underneath this, the halo effect is working. If the client subconsciously thinks you are just showing off, then your other personality traits will be perceived negatively too.?

Recently, we saw Kamala Harris try to use the halo effect. She employed the services of countless A-list celebrities, hoping that their positive characteristics would also be attributed to her. Yet, as research published a couple of weeks ago shows, the halo effect of celebrity endorsement is not as significant as many might believe.

Ultimately, the best way of demonstrating who you are inside is to just “be you”. Stop trying to impress..! You could be doing the exact opposite of your intentions when you try to impress by wearing the “right” brand or displaying your fancy watch or expensive pen. Wearing your heart on your sleeve shows the true you, and with it comes an improved perception of you by others.