Dress is one of the most interesting concepts in chapter 5. At least to me. Most people do not realize that what you wear conveys more than "just clothing." The book's example is one of business/courtroom attire, but there is so much more than just business. In particular, young ladies. What people my age wear is a huge tick for me. Why do women dress like they are hookers and then get offended when people stare? When they wear low-cut shirts and short skirts, they are sending a certain message about who they are, and what intentions they want for the day (or night).
In April when I was at my conference, there was a young lady, about my age, in a very low-cut, cleavage-baring top, a mini-skirt, and high heels. She expected us (as the audience) to trust her credibility in knowing that she knew what she was presenting. Her clothes on the other hand, conveyed a message that she was not intelligent or scholarly in any way (at least not at the higher education level).
So please, wear appropriate clothes for the situation. If you want people to look at you, then by all means, wear little to no clothes. If you want people to trust that you are dependable and knowledgeable, then be a little more modest and Google what you should be wearing for that particular situation.
Thank you for pointing this out!!
ReplyDeleteAs an HR professional, it ceases to amaze me how many candidates to this day, do not know how to dress for an interview. Though my company supports a Business Casual environment, we always tell interviewees (if they even ask) to dress in business attire; slacks, button ups etc. Yet so many people do not take to heart the lesson that what you wear represents who you are. This ties into the lesson on being able to judge or not judge a person. I strongly feel that it is impossible to not make assumptions about a person when we first meet them, it is just how our brains file information that is given to us from our sensory observations. In this way, the girl you mentioned in your post from the conference, was most likely assumed to be less credible and therefore less respected due to the choice she made in clothing.
Such a great point, glad you shared your experience!