Do Clothes Make the Man?

“A monkey dressed in silk is still a monkey,” Spanish proverb

There’s a saying in almost every culture that reminds us that “clothes don’t make the man (or woman).” The aphorism cuts both ways; it warns us that dressing up doesn’t make you a better person. It also warns us that we shouldn’t judge people by their outward appearances.

But we also have advised workers for generations to “dress for the job you want, not for the job that you have.” Are there any advantages to dressing to impress at work? Especially in a post-pandemic world where many remote workers barely got out of sweats for days at a time? Aren’t we past all that?

Not yet. Probably not ever. All of us, even those who claim not to judge others, judge others by their appearance. Our lizard brain takes just a few minutes to size up other people to determine useful information like social status, likeability, attractiveness, and whether they pose a danger, literally, or to our own social status.

Norms do change, of course. Fifty years ago, someone with an unkempt beard, multiple piercings, and a sleeve of tattoos would look dangerous. Today, it’s completely normal. But it’s important to know that every choice we make about our appearance is sending a message. And it’s possible the message might be misinterpreted.

My favorite story about this is when Neiman Marcus moved to Boston in 1984. Neiman Marcus is based in Dallas and famous for catering to the opulently wealthy, supplying unique and extravagant gift items. The associates who had transferred from Texas to open the store trained new hires how to spot the “right” kind of customer for Neiman Marcus – one who can afford to make a purchase (as opposed to the poor masses, who were only there to gawk and window shop.)

The problem with their training was that they didn’t understand an important fact: Boston money looked very different from Dallas money. Boston’s well-to-do dress comfortably, preferring tried and true preppy clothes that wear forever. In Boston, everything is more understated. The people who dressed up to go to Neiman Marcus were exactly the people who couldn’t afford to shop there. The store eventually hired enough locals to help them figure things out.

A Psychology Today article says that you can gain advantage by dressing like the people in the group you’d like to be a part of. Author Richard Dancsi says, “People are drawn to others who are like them, so changing our appearances is an easy way to better fit in with the group. Gaining group members’ trust is important because valuable information is more likely to be shared with insiders.”

Dressing like management makes you look like management material (if you do it well.) Dancsi goes on to say, “But what we wear isn’t only for the benefit of other people. Wearing a suit or a dress may make the wearer appear more confident—but if they also believe that they look more competent, more confident is exactly what they will become. A self-fulfilling prophecy if we’ve ever seen one.”

Dressing the part is essential for success in public speaking, job interviews, and other kinds of auditions, where being judged is part of the process – in fact, it is the process.

We want to be judged on our merits, of course And over time, you will be.  But no matter how advanced we think we are, first impressions will always be critical to our success.