Three Things Every Man Should Know (pt 3/3)....

Objective:  To show our male counterparts the importance of going beyond suit and tie-with consideration given to color, style, texture-and how it dramatically affects the perception of you to the following….EVERYONE. 

Evidence:  Ambady & Rosenthal (some smarties from Harvard) performed a study and published their findings in the Psychological Bulletin 1992, Vol. III, No. 2, pg 256-274.  In this study, they proved that not only do we make quick decisions with small amounts of data….*drumroll*…we actually make correct classifications (assumptions) nearly 70% of the time.  Let’s break it down to normal-people lingo:  Several really, really smart people have done studies, to prove that we stereotype everyone….ACCURATELY (big deal here, folks)……within 30 seconds of meeting them. Before you consider stepping up onto your soapbox consider this: it’s not shallow, it’s SCIENCE.  The study goes on to say judgments from roughly 30-seconds of observation were as accurate as those at 5-minutes of observation.  So, whether we are going in for an interview, a big client meeting, a date, or a court appearance the first 30-seconds count and it can take YEARS to mitigate the first 30-second impression you left.  YEARS! Just because you’re a dude and you may think “fashion is for girls” know this: your “fashion” is either helping or hindering you and it can take years to recover from anything less than a positive first impression.  Do you have years to work with a new client and make the sale?  Do you have years to give testimony in court? Do you have years to convince Mr. Target Corp VP to hire you?  Do you have years to convince Sally Sue to date you?  Maybe, but I’m betting if you are anything like any of the men I know you would rather your time is better spent elsewhere:  like showing your prospect your skills and abilities.  Your clothing is always communicating something; the question is “what do you want to communicate?”

Here are three things you can do about it NOW:

See my previous blogs for numbers 1 &2

3.  Don’t accept what your Friends wear or what you read in Men’s Health (one time) as your Fashion Bible:  If there is one thing I could scream at the top of my lungs-other than “no black”-it would be to find what works for YOU!!  There will never be another person like you-so why would you accept that what looks good on your friend, Joe, is automatically going to look the same (and as good) on you?  For example, let’s say Joe is extremely lanky and into punk music.  He doesn’t look bad in Skinny Jeans; he even gets a lot of chicks.  Would the same jeans look good on your 30lbs-over-your-weight-from-college frame?  NO!  I know the value of having integrity beats the best looking guy in GQ with no morals and I am by no means saying that wardrobe makes up for a lack of character.  But if studies by smart people are proving that nonverbal cues have more impact than what you say (ie. Non-verbal actions speak louder than world), I would take a page from their Harvard smarty-pants study and dress in a way that accurately reflects the integrity you should have on the inside.  After all, you only have 30 seconds, why not make it count?

Next blog focuses on:  

How to Use your Element to Effortlessly Decorate Your Home  

Katie Stockwell-Finding Your Element, enjoys helping others find and live in their most authentic, powerful self