Like it or not, what you wear matters

We hear all the time “I just need an outfit for this event” or “I need a new dress for my date” or “I’ll just grab something on the way home for the meeting tomorrow.” It is amazing how most people don’t appreciate or even understand the importance of what you wear in every environment. Not just how you’re perceived but even how you feel!

?It boils down to the irrefutable fact that your appearance does matter. How you present yourself matters and your clothes play a tremendous role in that. You know that if you were naked in a job interview that would make an impression, same as if you were wearing a bikini. Why wouldn’t it matter when in an important business closing what you are wearing then as well? Staying on top of every single trend is virtually impossible and in fact some people make a living at it as a full-time job. However, it is important to have key important items of clothing to guarantee that you are ready gathering that you may be expected to attend (social or otherwise).

Let’s discuss why it doesn’t matter if you think it’s important but that it simply is.

“First impressions mean a lot” – time tested fact and relevant still today.

A woman comes into a business meeting and meets clients for the first time. Incredible skirt, cute shoes, she carries herself well, and her top has the craziest 1990’s square pattern with neon color blocking that doesn’t match anything, never did, never will. What will everyone notice first before she even says a word? Admitting it or not doesn’t change the fact that people are superficial. The first thing noticed about you is how you look and if it appeals to them. Body, face, height is not easily changed, you can change the way you dress. Changed daily, hourly if you want.

What you wear has a direct impact on assumptions about who and what you represent. Would you take fashion advise from someone wearing mis-matched clothing? What about a Drivers education teacher with a suspended license? The more you’re put together, the more respect and positive attention you are going to earn. Yes, people should be more concerned with ‘what’s on the inside’ of people, but for most, they are not.

?

Elevating your status, start with what is on your body

Following the first impression, what you are wearing will either carry you further in impacting how you’re treated or move you further to the back of the line. When watching people walk in and out of conference rooms, meeting spaces, and even social locations, you can always tell the people that feel more confident than the ones that do not. Often, the less confident individuals are messing with their clothing, the fit, it is look in mirrors, just preoccupied. How many times have you seen a woman pulling up her top or pulling down the pants lets to eliminate scrunching. If the clothing doesn’t fit, it pre-occupies their minds (is someone seeing something I don’t want them to see, does this make me look ‘fill in the blank’). Finding something that flatters your body type allows you to focus on the moment. Focus on the conversations at hand and unfortunately our society’s built on visual cues, so it is very evident that a better-dressed person is going to experience better treatment than their shabbier counterpart. We all know you are so much more than your clothes, but really, since first impressions are shallow anyway, why not direct those shallow thoughts to be as positive as possible?

Ultimately, looking great leads to feeling great.

When you are complimented on something you wear, how does that make you feel? When you wear something that you are not sure of pattern or print-wise and you get a compliment, don’t you feel successful? Clothes have a way of genuinely changing our moods, or even protecting them. Meeting your girlfriends for a girl’s night out, wearing a cute dress vs a big baggy sweater generates quite different feelings for you and how you fit in the evening. When you manage to stick to your new diet and lose weight to wear the smaller jeans, and you can wear them! How does that make you feel? It does not matter if you are a self-confident extrovert who gets energy meeting new people, or a shy introvert who needs to warm up in social settings, your clothing choices are going to help give you more confidence and allow the “you” to come out!

Spend a moment selecting the “look” you want and getting “fixed up” will help give you the I can do anything and take on any challenge in your way.

Yes, people should look at the personalities before the apparel, but light travels faster than sound. So, make sure your clothing is the light you want to show!

Sam Hupp ?is an industry expert and the Chief Strategy and Revenue officer for?BuddyLove ?clothing company. An accomplished Senior Executive with more than 25 years of success in the apparel, fashion, luxury goods, watch and jewelry, industries. Sam brings corporate level insight to organizations?seeking expert assistance with operations analysis, event engagement, revenue growth, and business turn around.?