Fair or not, accurate or not, whether we wish it weren't so or not, the fact is people make snap judgements about the people they want to associate with, or hire, or follow as a leader in an organization, all by how those people look and dress.
Ty Kisel, business writer at Forbes, tells his story:
I had lunch yesterday with an old friend. I’ve known him for over 30 years. In fact, he introduced me to my wife. Unfortunately, we don’t see each other very often and hadn’t sat down across the table from each other for several years.
Let me preface what I’m about to say with, “I’m comfortable with my jeans and sneakers.”
Dave is a corporate attorney. He entered the restaurant immaculately dressed, although he wasn’t wearing a tie. I was dressed as I usually am (I did wear what I thought was a nice button-up shirt—it was even tucked in). Dave hasn’t changed much since we knew each other in our early twenties, while I am decidedly more rotund, sporting gray hair and a nearly white beard. He could pass for 10 years younger than me, although he’s actually a couple of years my senior (it must be all the time he wastes at the gym).
As we left the restaurant together I made an off-handed comment about how I appreciated that he got “all dressed up” to have lunch with me. He didn’t miss a beat, “I guess I just take our friendship more seriously than you do.”
Sadly many people never take matters of dress and appearance into account; sadly for their job prospects or ability to advance, that is. They never realize that dressing for a leadership or professional job the same way one would dress for a barbecue and frisbee game at the local park, is a sure fire way to signal to others one isn't competent, serious, or prepared, no matter how untrue those judgements might actually be.
When these facts are pointed out, many (especially younger) workers and leaders, bristle with indignation. They should, they rebut, be able to dress any way they like. As long as they are competent and can do the job who is anyone to judge them simply because they choose to dress comfortably.
However much they might wish others wouldn't make snap judgments based upon how another dresses it is nevertheless a constant of human behavior. Psychological studies show minor improvements in style, fit, cleanliness, and personal grooming--the subtle difference between a man having well-groomed hair or adopting a more youthful floppy surfer look, or whether a business woman leaves one top blouse button undone or two--can profoundly affect how others view one's intelligence, competence, and trustworthiness. A psychologist writing for Psychology Today observes from the research:
It is important to choose our dress style carefully because people will make all sorts of assumptions and decisions about us without proper evidence. We are unlikely to know what these assessments are too, so it is quite possible that our clothes reveal more than we thought.
Sartorial laziness is an easy habit to slip into. We may think that fashion is just profligate indulgence and our sunny personality will eclipse our dull attire or detract from the soup stains on our anorak. Untrue. What we wear speaks volumes in just a few seconds. Dressing to impress really is worthwhile and could even be the key to success.
Kimberly Nastasi of the Institute for Organization Management advises young workers,
Young Professionals can be judged quickly and are often times dismissed based solely on their image and the image portrayed by their social media. Your image communicates nonverbally. Yes, we all want to be individuals and no, our performance is not based on the fact that we wear jeans and flip flops, but in today’s lax society young professionals need to dress the part. Last time you were in the airport, how many people did you notice were in their pajamas? Better yet, what did you think about these people? On surface you could automatically assume they are lazy or indifferent. Or you could assume they just want to be comfortable for travel, but would you want them on your team at the office? What are you going to do to avoid being judged negatively? How can you make a first impression work to your advantage?
I know a lot of young leaders both in secular and ministry positions who would do well to take a hard look in the mirror in the morning, and maybe make another trip back to their closet to find an outfit that presents them at their best rather than merely at their most laid-back and comfortable.