Earlier, we discussed about the development of our personality. We agree that good personality plays a vital role. In development of good personality, we have to make an assessment of our existing personality in all respects and have to focus upon the weaknesses. We also agree that outward presentation of ourselves also pays well if we take up the process of our overall personality.
It is an old proverb that first impression is the last impression. It is true also to that extent that whenever you meet someone, he/she gets influenced with your appearance, your way of presentation of yourself. You may sometime think why you need to present yourself. You need it, you need it very much as success in every issue – whether that is a petty or significant one, whether that is your career or any thing else. It matters whether you are a student, on job, job-seeker meeting your prospective employer, you are a businessman, you are a household lady or working woman, you are an employer or top boss of a company/organization, leader, psychologist or a spiritual Guru. You are hunting for finance or any opportunity, your win in your life has a lot to do and that can be gained at least to the extent of fifty percent by your presentation only and the rest can be achieved by your performance thereafter.
If we see a woman checking herself in the mirror, we don’t need to pass a nasty remark. If experts are to be believed, being well-groomed and well-dressed are great investments for one’s career growth and a vibrant family life. While one need not be obsessive about one’s looks, a well-groomed personality is easy on the eye and on the mind. It gives a good vibe. In any profession, the first impression is built on the verbal and non-verbal transaction between individuals (or groups). To a great extent, body language, physical look and communication patterns from an ambiance that leads to success or failure. This holds true for both genders. If one is priggish and proper, it shows that the person is meticulous. Similarly, how one talks, smiles and greets people are important segments of that package, which one cannot ignore if he/she wants to climb the career ladder. In fact, this has a reflection on one’s social and personal life as well.
For success, there should be a basic reflection of grooming and etiquette in a person’s appearance as it instills a certain discipline. You know! First impressions are formed within the first 30 seconds, where 55 per cent is based on appearance, 38 per cent on voice and body language and seven per cent on what one says. The right way to smile, shake hands, greet, color and cuts of clothes, depending on one’s complexion and body type impress the others. If you feel such things are shallow and need to be dismissed, you must think again. We all admire colors; we all are buoyed by fragrance and fascinated by nature. Being well-groomed is just an extension of that appreciation of beauty.
When at office, you are well-dressed; you get appreciative glances which make you feel confident. But it is not just clothes, good manners are important too. It is important to look good to feel good, irrespective of where you are, home or office. None wants to have a sloppy and smelling personality sitting next to him. It is simple as that. At home even, if you remain well dressed, that makes decent impressions on your family members and the neighbors too. Your guests would also feel comfortable – you need to remain well dressed whatever be the occasion. The filthy dress invites filthy remarks and would affect your performance as well.
Style is an integral part of every professional’s life. Though it is not sex-specific, men have fewer style options compared to women. It is all the more important in the case of working women as style lapse is easily noticed. Grooming is fundamental to anyone’s welfare, men and women. If a person with undone nails, disheveled hair and crushed clothes gives a presentation, would you even look at him/her? Looking pleasant, smelling good, talking well and smiling enough are no longer cosmetic requirements alone. They go a long way in making one feel good while also ensuring better ratings in their performance record.
1. Your personal appearance has the transformation effect.
Your personal appearance makes a lot of difference in the thinking of the person you are going to meet. One of the powers of clothing is that it can transform an individual’s state of mind. Dress like a professional businessman and you are more likely to act like a professional businessman. Students too confirm that they perform better when they dress-up for an exam. When women feel sick in the morning or interested to feel afresh, they use the power of dressing-up to shrug off sickness. That is why most of the household women take an early bath and after finishing their household jobs, they take another bath to proceed to well dressing. The transformative effect is powerful and instantly effective; what is most amazing is that so few people use it.
2. Proper dressing improves self discipline in your team.
In armies, we insist for well dressing. Why? It is believed and recognized that sharp dressed soldiers are more disciplined than shabbily dressed personnel. Military dress inspections have persisted not because shiny boots win wars, but because the exercise teaches a military force to pay attention to the minute details of every action for winning the battles.
In the same way, a person who dresses professionally learns the value of self discipline. They learn that planning and allotting enough time are paramount for consistent results. They prepare for the day by thinking through it, anticipating their needs, and taking the proper steps to ensure they can meet the challenge. A disciplined dresser can arrange his outfit to meet his needs from 8AM to midnight, from office to presentation to drinks after work.
3. Proper dressing wins appreciation and respect.
It is true that properly clothing yourself takes time; shirts need to be ironed, shoes shined, and jackets brushed. Perhaps the greatest lesson this teaches is to respect the effort put forth by our fellow human beings. When you meet another well dressed man, you give him an extra measure of respect because of his outfit; you notice the perfect dimple in his tie and appreciate it because it took you 15 minutes and 5 attempts to perfect your own. Mutual respect between person to person is garnered when they recognize the efforts each has put forth.
4. The power of visuals is enormous.
Numerous communication studies have demonstrated the power of visuals in human interaction. With covering 90% of your body, your clothing plays to ascertain how you are perceived by others. If you wish faster & better service in a restaurant, you need to give impression that you have money and that can be evident from your dressing. If you wish to increase your chances on a college presentation you must care for your dressing. Similarly, if you wish instant credibility in a business environment, you must wear a suit when making the pitch or meeting with management.
5. You must value your first impression.
You know! The harsh reality is that we make decisions about people within the first 3 seconds of meeting them; we then spend the next 90 seconds trying to confirm our first impressions. This means that before you even open your mouth your image stands sized up and profiled. Knowing this, a person should always dress neatly, professionally, and appropriately. The fact is you never know who you are going to meet; at anytime you may run into a potential client, a future employer, or for those singles out there, the love of your life. And like it or not, they are going to form their initial impression of you based off of how you look. Made within a few seconds, first impressions are powerful and should not be taken lightly. We often observe a person before we speak with them, and being human we look to make sense of what our eyes are showing us. Using our personal experiences, we categorize individuals; we pick-up on a key feature that has meaning to us and then associate that person with it. If what you are wearing is doing all the talking for you, make sure it is sending the message you want.
6. You must choose the power of colors and patterns to suit the occasion.
Colors and patterns are very powerful; certain ones grab our attention, some accentuate our natural tones, and others affect our emotions. When choosing colors and patterns a person should first understand which ones work for him and which ones do not. Next, he needs to determine what message he wants to send. A person decked out in a pin-striped navy blue suit, blue shirt with white contrasting collar and cuffs, and a red tie screams power and authority. A person wearing a solid brown suit with an earth tone shirt and light colored tie signals trust and openness. Both men were wearing suits, but two very different messages were being conveyed. You must try to non-striking colors if you are going to attend some grieved gathering.
7. Your dress conveys influence and authority.
The men’s suit, whose heritage stems from military garb, was designed to highlight his strengths. When cut properly and made with a fabric that compliments the wearer, it signals authority and commands attention. When you deal with a policeman, an airline pilot, a doctor, a lawyer or some other professionals, and if they are professionally dressed, their garments assure us that the person we are dealing with is an authority in his/her respective field.
8. Your well dress gives positive assumptions.
Well dressed people are given a leg up in many respects. They are often perceived as being smarter, and more enjoyable to be around. Taking this a step further, dressing professionally can help you appear more important to the success of your company and may even help you hold onto your job. Assuming all other factors being even, the management lets go the technician who dresses well and can be put in front of a client or the guy who does not own a suit. In this current economic downturn, every small detail matters.
Every person is unique, and every person has his own individual style. We live in a world where we are constantly bombarded with marketing messages trying to tell us who we should want to be, how buying this will make us cool, how sporting this brand will improve our looks. You will have to form a foundation from which you will make your own personal style decisions. You need to create a hunger within you to discover your individual style.
9. You need not to follow up the whimsical winds of fashion.
Many men are confused by fashion trends, and for good reason. Unlike baseball or engineering, there seems to be no logic or set of ground rules as to how it operates. What’s fashionable today may not be liked next week, and what looks good on that tall athletic model doesn’t seem to compliment you or most the persons you know.
A person’s personal style should be influenced by three things:the physical characteristics, the environment in which he finds himself, and the personal preferences. I will address each of these separately.
I. The Foundation of your Personal Style is Your Physical Characteristics.
Persons come in all shapes and colors; some are light skinned, short, and thin as a rail while others are dark, tall, and heavy set. And just as every combination of physical attributes yields a unique appearance, every physical combination has a set of style combinations that best enhances it. Aesthetically speaking, there are certain colors, patterns, and clothing silhouette combinations that best compliment each and every one of us.
II. Your Environment also refines your Personal Style.
The second factor in determining your personal style is your environment. A banker in Orlando, Florida has very different needs than a teacher in Chicago, Illinois. Both men want to look professional, but each has different environmental and professional factors that affect their choices. Each man makes choices based off of his environment. If they are to switch places, both may have to alter their wardrobes. But in their respective locations, they will make solid clothing decisions according to the environment.
III. Your Wants and Desires make your Individual Style.
Finally, the most important factors in determining your personal style are your wants and desires. How do you want to appear to others? Creative, intelligent, a team player, all of these is possible. Although at this point we have narrowed down the range of clothing at your disposal, we have by no means stifled your choices. No, there is still an endless array of accessories, colors, patterns, and details that will take the menswear that best compliments you and make it yours.
Final Thoughts
You can wear whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want; you need to lay out a thought process so that you can dress yourself in a professional manner no matter who you are and where you may find yourself. These days, the economy is forcing even the biggest shopping-aholics to put the breaks on spending. And clothing may be one of the first things to go. Fashion diet? Yes. But it doesn’t have to feel like starvation; Whether you’re a high-powered exec or self-employed professional or a business person, you’ve probably found that as your responsibilities increase your shopping time has suffered. Before you resort to drastic measures like buying your clothes on the run at the same place you get your groceries, take advantage of strategies that can keep you well dressed in less time. Here are a few tips on how to dress gorgeously and save money while doing so.
• You must do shopping selectively
Some persons have a habit of splurging for items they don’t particularly need, whereas avoid splurges by shopping for just a half-dozen indispensable wardrobe items each year. You must prefer quality over quantity. Quality of life overall is very important.
French designer Anne Fontaine, known for her white shirts, says that “besides a beautiful blouse, every woman should have a great pair of jeans, black pants, a perfect skirt, a perfect little black dress and a jacket for each season.” Consider this collection of basics a jumping off point–with a few accessories added in, there are endless outfit possibilities. A little black dress, for example, can be dressed up with fine jewelry for a formal event, paired with a jacket for a business dinner or worn with sandals having straps for a cocktail party.
• You must assess every Purchase
You must assess how often you will be able to wear every item you purchase. Please do not do just picking something because it is in fashion. You need to give more thought to it. How many times can you wear it? Is it versatile enough to go from day, to work, to cocktails? And will you want to wear it again and again? That sequined jacket may look great on a store rack but most likely it won’t be wearable at the office. A tuxedo blazer, on the other hand, can be paired with jeans for a casual look or with a satin shift for a formal evening event.
You must learn how to build a distinct wardrobe, buying only comfortable clothes that are made of high-quality fabrics like an Yves Saint Laurent blouse that you can always wear year after year, season after season, it may never seem to age.
• You can have Personal shopper.
It sounds like an impossible luxury, but the complimentary personal shoppers at larger stores — department stores or specialty — usually don’t cost you anything to use. Not only can this be a huge timesaver, it’s like a free session with your own stylist.
Your shopper will pre-shop the store before you get there according to your style, size and budget preferences. Then, you’ll either be presented the choices in a private setting or in some cases the shopper can bring the choices to your home or office.
• You may opt for going high-end
At some of the premium stores you’ll find not only personal shoppers, but excellent sales people who can help you one-on-one find what you need. In general, you’ll find great service (always a timesaver) and even the extras like home or hotel delivery and an on-site tailor.
If better specialty and department stores are out of your price range, think about using them as a resource for end-of-season sales. You’ll be able to buy better clothing at a more moderate price when the prices are slashed for clearance.
• You may think specialty.
Department stores are great when you have time to roam, but specialty stores — retailers with a more focused lifestyle approach — can offer a shopping experienced tailored to your taste. The trick is to find a specialty store that works and stick with it. You should find out which stores might work for you.
• Some time, Shopping at clubs and events can be enjoyed.
You may get in good with the gals to participate in a mega-sale of designer names that are slashed up to 80% off retail. The invitation-only event is held quarterly in New York and Los Angeles, but this national sample sale will give you the chance for total immersion shopping. You can even combine vacations with planned shopping by using a shopping tour service. Most regional apparel marts offer sample sale days when they open to the public. Check out your local apparel mart for details. They can provide good bargain too.
• You can buy in bulk.
Great jeans? Buy two of them. Perfect-fitting T-shirt? Get it in three or four colors. The secret to buying basics in bulk successfully is to find great essentials — T-shirts, jeans, pants, – and pick up either two of the same exact item or the same item in different colors.
This type of “uniform” dressing doesn’t mean your wardrobe has to be boring! By layering and accessorizing, you can make even the most boring essentials uniquely you. Buying in bulk means that your closet will always be stocked with the necessities and any extra shopping time can be spent on the accessories.
• You may use internet and catalog.
It may seem like a no-brainer to order 24/7 from the ‘Net and catalogs, but if you aren’t smart about your shopping, these can be a huge time drainer. If you are least bit hard to fit, mail order shopping can mean extra time with returns and tailoring. And if you don’t have some idea of what you want, browsing the vast resources on the Web can take hours. You must make sure you know your size before shopping online or by catalog, and the best way to do this is to take measurements first through some experts or yourself if you are confident.
• You must skip the Trends
Instead of following trends, you may get loyal to the styles and colors that look best on you. After all, copying what’s on the runways isn’t for everyone. You must embrace your individuality. The manufacturers of garments/textiles use the magazines and celebrities to provoke the demand to wear, for increasing their business. Instead, you must choose and wear clothes that fit your personality. It is more about what feels right and looks good on you. Most of all it has to look effortless.
Be Happy – brush up your outward appearance. It also pays well.