Dressing Well in an Ever More Casual World

 

Our society has become ever more casual, and dressing well is an easy way to stand out from the crowd. If you are in a position where you have to dress in business attire for your job, you likely wear a suit during working hours. What about the rest of your week? With our culture moving away from the classic ‘suit and tie’ professional dress, a man who dresses well stands out and is treated much differently than the average person. On the surface dressing up during your time off may seem like unnecessary work, but let's get into a couple of reasons why you might want to put in the effort to dress in tailored clothing all of the time.

1) You will feel more powerful and make better decisions. A 2015 study showed 
hat dressing well created a substantial improvement in decision-making skills and confidence. There are entire industries centered around helping people to have more confidence and to learn more effective decision-making skills. Dressing slightly better can give you an edge in both areas without the success coaches or seminars.                                                                                        (Click to View)

2) Wearing formal clothing enables you to stand out. In today's world filled with noise, getting noticed when you need it can be a hard task. In those critical moments, when you need a particular person's attention, dressing well can make all the difference. Just one in ten adults wears business attire to their job*; If you are one of those people, you have a distinct edge.  

3) Your clothing is your handshake. One of my favorite quotes is "clothes don't make the man, but they do introduce him." Even before you can open your mouth or offer a firm handshake, people are making snap judgments about your appearance. What is your daily wear saying about you? Is your look saying what you want? If you want your clothing to introduce who you are as a person, it is going to take a bit more thought and effort than just throwing on a suit and tie.

4) You will make more money. This point is also backed by several studies. Researchers have found that dressing well increases the likelihood that you will get a better job, promotion, or raise. Part of this effect is likely the boost in confidence and problem solving we get when we wear more formal clothing. Secondly, when you dress up, others see you as more capable, mature and responsible, regardless of your age.**

If it isn't apparent, your clothing choices affect a lot more than just how you look for the day. So what is the best way to dress up while not being out of place? A good start is to add a custom jacket to your jeans or better yet a pair of chinos or trousers. Make sure you have a collared shirt on, whether that is a polo or button up shirt and you will have a solid outfit. The best part about this is there are as many combinations of colors, patterns, textures as there are people. Doing this is a fantastic way to introduce yourself to the world while looking sharp. Here at Chalk Mark, one of our greatest joys is knowing that we are helping to change lives because we know that there is so much more to dressing well than just improving someone's appearance.

The adage goes "dress for the job you want," and that is undoubtedly true. What seems to be more accurate, however, is that how you dress signals to others who you are, how you want others to treat you, and what you value in your life. It is possible to look good without wearing tailored clothing, but the effects are evident that dressing in tailored clothing will benefit every area of your life. The best part of all is simply wearing a tailored jacket, and some trousers means you are dressing better than almost all of the people in our country, so why not?

* Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/suits-work-clothes-formal-office-wear-jackets-ties-study-a8188881.html
**Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ruchikatulshyan/2013/10/17/is-casual-dress-killing-your-productivity-at-work/#4442f1942b6a