It’s tempting to think that your work attire has little effect on the place in which you work. After all, you could be easily led to believe that various other factors, such as your confidence and productivity levels, would play larger roles. However, the problem with this theory is that, according to research, your corporate clothing can genuinely influence such factors… and, thus, your work environment. If this surprises, rest assured that you can cleverly take advantage of the situation.
The potential paradox between perception and reality :
“Let’s be clear: In the big picture of ultimate reality, what you wear neither defines who you are as a person nor determines your value as a human being,” remarks Darlene Price, who wrote the self-help tome Well Said! Presentations and Conversations That Get Results. “However, in the temporal realm of mere mortals, fair or not, people judge us by the way we look and that includes the way we dress.” This especially applies in the workplace, she insists via Business Insider.
Aspects of yourself that, through looking at your clothing, work colleagues could attempt to assess include your authority, intelligence, trustworthiness, monetary success and suitability for promotion. Worse, even if your clothing does not accurately reflect how you fare in any of these areas, that could ultimately be a largely irrelevant detail. If other people at work perceive that you shouldn’t advance in your career, then you more likely won’t. Their behaviour towards you could be especially influenced when they take into account both your appearance and communication skills.
Quick tips for using clothing to positively affect your success :
If you are a woman, don’t keep any short skirts or strapless tops in your work wardrobe, as excessively baring skin in the office is a big no-no. Still, when you do cover up, make sure it’s not with clothing that is wrinkled or dirty. Obvious advice though this may seem, you might not heed it if you typically take a more liberal stance of “It’d be okay for me to wear that dirty/wrinkled shirt just one more time” before you finally get it cleaned or ironed.
Also, make sure that your work clothes fit you appropriately. By this, we mean that they should fit neither too snugly nor overly loosely. If you have a little extra weight, you might be eager to try to conceal that excess fat by donning baggy clothes. However, Business Insider retail expert Ashley Lutz has insisted that well-fitting, not loose-fitting, clothes will provide a “polished look” that leads others around you to see you in a different way. Splashing out on several pairs of slim fit work pants from Dickies Life could, therefore, be a great step to take ahead of your next work day.
Still, what work clothing you should wear could depend heavily on the type of work you are in. Research cited by Lifehacker indicates that people with more daring attire are considered more individual; this could serve you well if your job is in a creative field.
Further Reading : From Mumchic to Business Owner
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