When it comes to personal styling, men have not always felt the pressure of having to dress up on a daily basis. Put on a shirt, some jeans, lace up some sneakers, and you’re good to go. While it’s true that many men still follow that same ritual, others have become more sophisticated.
These days, it’s not hard to find men who are more conscious of their personal style. Take a look around your office and you will probably see more than a few gentlemen wearing tailored suits and polished oxfords. Even away from the workplace, some men have developed a habit of always dressing as well as they can.
So, what has inspired this change and is there any real reason to buy into it yourself if you haven’t exactly been a sharp dresser in the past? Let’s answer those questions in this article.
Showing You Care
According to Real Men Real Style, dressing up allows you to accomplish a few things. Among them is showing that you have a keen awareness of your own personal style.
Looking good is not always necessary, but at the same time, no harm can really come from it. If anything, dressing sharp can leave a good impression on the people around you.
When you take the time to pick out the right clothes and ensure you're cloth items are neatly pressed and your leather shoes are carefully polished, you’re also proudly proclaiming that you are invested in yourself and that’s a good thing.
Think about it: given the choice between someone who cares about his clothes and someone who doesn’t, wouldn’t you clearly go for the former?
If an individual cares enough about how they look to get their styling right, that person is also likely to put extra care into the work they put out.
Dressing to Impress
Along with showing that you care about yourself, dressing well also has the effect of conveying your ambitious attitude. Even if you’re still among the many entry-level employees in your company, there’s nothing wrong with wearing your best dress shirt, slacks, and shoes to work.
If you’ve ever heard the saying “dress for the job you want and not the one you have,” that is precisely what this is all about. By showing the people around you that you are willing to dress to impress, you are guaranteed to make a more positive impression.
A Quick Yet Lasting Impression
Now, let’s tackle an important question. Is dressing up really going to affect the people around you?
Previously, Psychology Today conducted some research involving 300 adult men and women. The men and women were asked to look at pictures of a man and a woman for just three seconds each.
With regards to the pictures of the men, some of the images featured a man wearing a tailored suit and others showed a man in a ready-made suit. The suits were essentially the same in every other way. The faces of the men were also pixilated so that they would have no impact on the results.
The results of the research showed that more people offered favorable comments to the men in the tailored suits. The men in those bespoke suits were even described as “confident” and “successful” among other flattering adjectives.
Perhaps it’s unfair to base judgments like that just on personal style, but still, the point remains that dressing up clearly has its benefits.
The next time you’re second-guessing yourself and wondering if dressing up is even worth your time, remember that it’s more than just about looking good. Dressing in your best clothes conveys your attitude, your ambition, and it can even give you a bit of a leg up on everyone else.
