Individuals act when there is an incentive. So what’s the incentive to being well dressed? The benefits are numerous, and just a few are below. Note that this post isn’t arguing that all men “should” dress well. Far from it. Not everyone wants to dress well. And that’s completely fine. Plus, there are plenty of situations where it’s more than okay to look like crap.
1. Total strangers usually give you the benefit of the doubt.
2. You’ll seem a bit mysterious while travelling. Even if your trip is painfully boring.
3. You usually have a coat or umbrella to offer someone who has romantic potential.
4. You look less like a weirdo when out, having a drink by yourself.
5. As long as you’re respectful, some police officers might treat you better.
6. Suit Jackets and Blazers make you look like you’re in great shape, even if you’re not quite there.
7. It’s a great reason to get in shape. Well Dressed + In Shape = The world is your oyster.
8. It’s a great reason to STAY in shape. C’mon, you can’t eat yourself out of that new suit.
9. The look on the face of the girl who dumped you years ago when you run into her at the airport…
10. …especially if you buy her a drink, listen to how her life has gone since the breakup, and leave after that one drink, letting her wonder what you must be up to.
11. Your handshake seems stronger.
12. With a smile and confident eye contact, you can look like you belong just about anywhere.
13. If your boss is a bit of a slob, and you’re dressed appropriately for your position yet better than him/her, it’s awfully hard for them to be a real jackass to you during your yearly review.
14. The bridesmaids quickly forget about the groomsman that walked with them down the aisle.
15. Shop online? You can develop a great relationship with your UPS man.
16. Ticket agents and flight attendants seem to give you extra attention.
17. Those extra pockets inside your jacket come in real handy.
18. It makes it easier to get away with less professional stuff at work (having scruff, getting a beer at lunch, etc…)
19. As a younger guy, you give all those older gentlemen hope.
20. You’re happy to help when your not so well dressed pal asks you to help him pick out some new clothes for his wedding day.
21. You finally start to take care of your clothes and store them properly.
22. Taking off your jacket buys you extra time for the authorities to step in if you’re grossly over-matched in a fist fight.
23. Walking a dog or carrying a baby while well dressed makes you 25% more handsome.
24. If you stink at accepting compliments (of any kind), you’ll probably get better at taking them.
25. You’ll also be more willing to pay someone a compliment, which can open many doors if it’s genuine.
26. If you look younger than your actual age, people will take you as serious as you should be taken.
27. If you look older than your actual age, people might think you own the place.
28. Believe it or not, it helps keep things in perspective. You live in your clothes. Things will happen to your clothes. At some point you’re going to spill something on a favorite pair of shoes or shirt… and y’know what? It’s just stuff.
29. The salesman won’t give you the side eye if you want to take that car you can’t afford under any circumstances out for a test drive.
30. Your backup Halloween costume every year: Mayhem from the Allstate commercials.
31. Sometimes, your date wants to get dressed up and go somewhere fancy. Sometimes, your date may want to date someone who initiates that getting dressed up and going somewhere fancy.
32. You’ll become fluent in ironing.
33. Retail sales people are less likely to pester you since you seem to know what you’re doing.
34. You’ll slay em’ at the company Christmas party.
35. Shining a great pair of shoes is sort of like hand washing a really cool car.
36. It’s about potential. Most want to max out their personal potential. Maximizing your potential, at surface level, often includes how you present yourself. That includes your clothes. And they certainly don’t have to be expensive to help you reach the level of confidence you deserve.
37. Down the road, old photos won’t look so bad after all.
38. That feeling of not knowing what to wear? It goes away after a while.
39. Bartenders seem to keep a good eye on you for when you need another drink.
40. Because there’s going to come a time when you’ll HAVE to be dressed well. And chances are it’s going to be an important event. If you’re not already used to dressing well, you’re going to feel awkward. And it’ll show. Practice makes perfect.
Couldn’t agree more with 26! I have that problem and dressing well (and acting the part) have helped tremendously!
The part about the UPS man is so true. I know my UPS guy very well since I order so many clothes online. He now helps me hide my deliveries so my wife doesn’t see them and give me the lecture about how I don’t need any more clothes.
Great list.
Dressing well is what a hawkish man might call a “force multiplier”.
Great list. I think the feeling of confidence and overall just feeling better with a nice crisp outift on is a great reason to dress well.
The flight attendants works so well. I was upgraded on my last trip. And it works especially well on international flights(or long flights in general) because people are more likely to look like slobs.
Scientific studies performed by scientists using the scientific method scientifically showed a correlation between dressing well and perceived level of competence by those around you.
So if you dress well, according to science, people automatically think you’re competent, and you don’t even have to get smarter.
thumbs up my good man… thumbs up… EXCELLENT list!
Excellent list, but especially nos. 1, 5, 7, 8, 16, 18, 23, and 27.
After losing and keeping off 70 lbs., dressing well (even “overdressing” at times), and, at 30-years-old, especially with a two small kids, looking a bit older than my age, strangers of all kinds treat me like the CEO of whatever room I’m in. I also can’t tell you all the extra perks I get from the department secretaries at my university. The best advice I ever got was simple: “Look the part.”
Excellent list, but especially nos. 1, 5, 7, 8, 16, 18, 23, and 27.
After losing and keeping off 70 lbs., dressing well (even “overdressing” at times), and, at 30-years-old, especially with a two small kids, looking a bit older than my age, strangers of all kinds treat me like the CEO of whatever room I’m in. I also can’t tell you all the extra perks I get from the department secretaries at my university. The best advice I ever got was simple: “Look the part.”
The one time that looking sharp does not work for you even if you are a doctor? When you don’t stay at a Holiday Inn the night before. (ha!!) Great list, by the way. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc2t6s0XeNk
Most of those reflect a simple truth- “People tend to respect someone who looks respectable, and respected people receive better treatment.”
“Taking off your jacket buys you extra time for the authorities to step in if you’re grossly over-matched in a fist fight.”
One of the funnier things I’ve ever heard.
I was stopping by a university after work (business casual attire). A female student was exiting out a glass door and the door shut as I was walking toward it. She didn’t really look up until she was outside, but she turned around to open the door for me.
I don’t remember that ever happening to me before.
As a younger guy, still pre-career, people think you’re more important than you actually are.
On that same note, you never know who you’re going to meet in a day. I think a man or woman (pre-career, or looking to move up) should always look like he/she is ready to enter that job on that day and fit right in.
I once wore a tie into a music store, picked up an electric bass, and started playing something vaguely funky. I am a self-taught guitarist and mandolin player who doesn’t even own a bass guitar. I’ve never played bass in a band, and have never practiced playing bass. In less than five minutes, someone came up to me and asked if I would be willing to give them bass lessons. When you dress well, people assume you know what you’re doing, even if you don’t. This is sometimes (not always) a good position to be in.
I once wore a tie into a music store, picked up an electric bass, and started playing something vaguely funky. I am a self-taught guitarist and mandolin player who doesn’t even own a bass guitar. I’ve never played bass in a band, and have never practiced playing bass. In less than five minutes, someone came up to me and asked if I would be willing to give them bass lessons. When you dress well, people assume you know what you’re doing, even if you don’t. This is sometimes (not always) a good position to be in.
We all want to be complemented, desired, maybe even admired. I try to dress well because it makes me feel better about myself, I respond more positively to people as a result, and then they respond more positively to me. Pretty simple really
Come on now, share. Where are you hiding stuff?
people definitely treat you different – even just at the grocery store or something mundane
Under the mat, of course!
http://i.imgur.com/6S6nh.jpg
HA!
#38. So nice.
LOVE THIS!
I was definitely Mayhem for Halloween a couple of years back. Collar bar. Three piece. Butterfly bandage. Shoe polish bruising on my face. I looked like I’d been to hell and back.
It took me a little while to figure out why all of a sudden people were being super nice to me. Holding doors, conceding me the escalator on the subway… they thought I’d just gotten the shit beat outta me.
I don’t understand this at all…
Love it. My wife would never look the. Ha!
This is one of my favorite posts of the year. Just reading through it again. Thanks guys.
Am a huge fan of suits/shirts etc. great list, especially number 36!
Wowww gone thru the list couple of times now … Well penned
That’s some scientific science.
“7. It’s a great reason to get in shape. Well Dressed + In Shape = The world is your oyster.”
This.
Dress well and people will remember you. Many many years ago I worked in the same office as a very well-dressed gentleman: sharply pressed shirts, French cuffs, glimmering cuff-links, immaculate suits and ties, polished quality shoes. We barely knew one another. But I’ve never forgotten him. This would be at least 30 years ago.
These are some good points stated here, the clothing reflects personality. From past to present there is a lot of change in the fashion world, as what is expected today is the men wear according to the women dressing sense and it is the truth, just look the wedding lehenga sarees online shopping women hope you stay with this as men and women focus on the dress.
#18 is all I needed to read
This is a great article!!!! Well done. I love #36. Really great. I am impressed.
I noticed 2 things about dressing better.
People look(and speak) at me less like I’m a hairy brown guy and more like bearded gentlemen.
&
If I dress better, my wife puts in more effort to be on a similar level. The more effort my wife puts into her look, the happier she is about her look. The happier my wife is the better.