“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.”
- Mark Twain
Recently, I was having a discussion with a business associate of mine. She had recently gone on a business trip, and when she got back, she promptly went out and bought some new clothing.
Seems like an odd chain of events, right?
No, her luggage wasn’t lost. No, she didn’t spill wine into her suitcase.
She told me that, on the trip, she had to attend a cocktail reception where people were networking and meeting each other. This was a reception of people in her field from all over the country.
She said that she just felt like people were looking right past her, not even noticing. She wasn’t dressed casually, but she wasn’t dressed as well as she could have been as appropriate for the occasion.
I was once given the advice to try to determine what the level of dress may be at any event I may be attending, and then go one step above. If most people will be dressed business casual, I wear a suit. If it is a “Black Tie Optional” event, I am always in my tux.
Another bit of advice that essentially says the same thing is “Always dress as if you have someplace fancier to go to afterwards.”
My associate also mentioned how she often doesn’t like to dress up, that it makes her feel phony, that such a look “isn’t her”.
Something that is important to keep in mind is that your clothing is just the packaging. It doesn’t change the product inside. It merely makes people form a positive first impression.
When you are shopping for something at the store, and you have no preconceived notions as to which brand may be best, don’t you look at the packaging? If a product came in a very nice package and another came in a very plain package, and both were the same price, which would you choose?
It is true that you only get one chance to make a good first impression. People DO judge a book by its cover.
