Perhaps
the answer lies in the cliché that notes that a picture is worth a thousand
words. Whatever we happen to be wearing acts like a motion picture for the
person meeting or greeting us. Without realizing it, we are communicating a
great deal about ourselves to the person in front of us. The more perceptive
the person, the more they can learn about us in even a split second of time.
Everything
we wear acts like a visual clue to who we are, what we believe in and how we
perceive ourselves. We live in a world of symbols and we know that we are
acutely affected by specific symbols. Every piece of jewelry, cuff link, shirt
and shoe is a quiet testimony to who we are.
Add
to this array of symbols, an added facet of expectation. We each have an
expectation of what we expect a person in a specific role to look like and
actually wear. For example, we may be able to accept that our physician is wearing
denim, but only if the denim is below the waist in the form of jeans. We would
not have confidence in the man if he walks in wearing bib overalls and a straw
hat. Our expectation has to marry what we see for us to begin to trust the
person in front of us.
Excessive
makeup, micro-mini skirts, skin-tight sweaters and heavy jewelry would be
utterly incongruous for a United States Senator. No one would vote for the
woman because she is sending a message that no voter would accept. She is
seeking to represent ‘the people’ and that representative, regardless of party,
has to be seen as dressing in a discrete, professional manner, one that will
engender respect.
Military
uniforms are only about symbols. They
are all specifically designed to command respect from everyone up and
down the entire chain of command. When one military person even glances at
another they can instantly tell if this person is an officer or is enlisted,
how long they have been in the military by the strips and/or insignia they are
wearing and their branch of service. They can also tell what level of respect
to provide based entirely on that person’s uniform, regardless of whether they
are male or female. When military salutes are rendered and returned, each
military person is reminded that they are only saluting the uniform, not a person specifically. This is most helpful in
cases where you have a distinct dislike for a superior. Literally, a military
uniform is virtually a personal storyboard.
Jewelry
alone tells us a tremendous amount. Some rings tell us marital status while
others reveal how outlandish our personality is. Wearing a Star of David,
Christian Cross or Crescent Moon? Obviously you want everyone to know and
respect your particular faith. One female former Secretary of State wore
specific lapel pins to communicate her level of power and the unspoken messages
she deliberately intended to convey. Too much jewelry is a distraction and too
little jewelry is austere. Ultimately any item of clothing or accessory worn
becomes a question of balance.
We
also need to remember to dress for the job we expect to have. If you ever want
to be chairman of the board, CEO, dress
the part. Eventually you will see yourself in that position. Command
respect by what you wear.
We
would all be wise to consider the very specific, yet subtle messages we are
sending when we dress each morning. Our job necessitates what we wear and the
messages we are supposed to be sending out [which is why some companies have a
very specific dress code]. Our personality determines how we will send that
message. Our sense of balance and mood will determine the fine details of our
clothing for this or any other particular day. Ultimately, it really is the
outer symbol of clothing that portrays who we are on the inside.
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