Why what you wear speaks of who you are
(Article published in Issue 12 of the Australian Business Solutions magazine. April 2010.)
Author: Nicola Barnard
“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” Mark Twain.
Have you heard the phrase ‘it doesn’t matter what you look like, it is what is on the inside that counts’. In theory it is a nice ideal. However, the fact is that we communicate so much visually and non-verbally that we cannot ignore the importance of our overall visual message and first impressions. Studies have shown that 97% of our communication impact is non-verbal! In primitive times, we survived as a species by being able to make a split second decision based on first impressions. In an instant we needed to know if we fight it, run away from it (or mate with it). If we got it wrong an encounter could have been life threatening. We rarely have life threatening encounters in modern times; however our minds and bodies are still subconsciously wired this way. No amount of political correctness policy will change this in the foreseeable future. In the first five seconds of a meeting we make an assessment of sex, age, size, health, culture, and socio-economic status. From this, we determine if we like and trust a person enough to get to know them better.
The outcome of making no effort with our visual appearance is that others may make incorrect assumptions based on their impressions. They may make a decision that could affect our social, work or financial prospects. No one can afford to ignore the importance of visual communication. For example, if someone looks shabby or is dressed inappropriately for the environment, they may be ignored or not trusted to behave professionally. This may result in being overlooked for promotion even if the job skills are present. If someone talks of quality and professionalism but is wearing an ill-fitting, cheap polyester outfit with old, scuffed shoes, the verbal and non-verbal messages are not going to match. Therefore the message and messenger will not be trusted. The visual and verbal messages have to match. This is called being congruent. You know when you are being congruent when you feel comfortable, look appropriate and are treated with respect – consistently.
Job seeker Rob was a 50-something IT professional who had fallen into the trap of believing that what he knew mattered more than how he looked. That’s ok if he was the only candidate for a job and the employer was desperate. In the current employment market however, candidates are competing against others with similar skills and experience. By putting effort onto clothing and grooming Rob was able to make a good first impression. Rob became more memorable and likable than other candidates because he presented in a way that fit the culture and communicated his professionalism and attention to detail. People like people who are like themselves, and who appear to fit the culture and environment of the position. Similarly, if a company wants to attract high caliber talent, they can support their verbal pitch by communicating the offered qualities using staff attire and office decor.
Clothing is for support, protection and a communication of purpose. Clothing should not compete with the message. The important considerations are quality, style, colour, fit, appropriateness for the occasion and for age and size. By putting thought into what we cloth our bodies in, we will always feel comfortable, confident, and appropriate; Improving relationship development, increasing trust and personal success.
