Dressing for the job you want in schoolJustin Koehler (he/him)Fashion, in general, isn’t something thatcomes easily to everyone. With so manydifferent styles, everyone has had an ideaof what they’d like to look like, but manyhaven’t got a clue about how to get there.A study got conducted in 2019, publishedin the Nature Human Behaviour journalshows that people, within milliseconds,perceive competency, status and confidencebased on clothing alone.“First impressions last. If you start behindthe eight-ball, you’ll never get in front,” saidleading character Harvey Specter in the hittelevision series, Suits.With that, when entering the workplaceor even while in school, how you dress candrastically impact your potential successand how you’re viewed, sometimes havingimmediate impacts.The first step to begin changing yourimage or developing what you want to looklike is to directly look at what you’re dressingfor in the first place.Someone dressing more formally, in a suitand tie for example, won’t necessarily see thesame impact for a more artistic professionversus a business or media-focused one. Findexamples of people in the position you’restriving for and work to mirror their look.While you probably don’t need to go tothe extreme while in a school setting, youcan often find ways of taking minute stepstowards that particular professional look.If your profession usually sees expertswearing full suits or dresses, normalizingwearing a simple dress shirt or cardiganon a regular basis can be a good first steptowards that look.Once you have that baseline and canestablish the direction you want to head inwith your fashion, the next step is to make ityour own.A series of studies published in a 2014article in the Journal of Consumer Research,discussed what’s called the “Red SneakerEffect.” Researchers found that wearing whatwould be considered professional attire forany given industry could be further elevatedwhen wearing one part that is slightlyoutside the norm.Wearing a bright tie or flashier sneakers,for example, can make you stand out andbecome more identifiable, with the studygoing so far as to say that uniqueness isvalued more than simple looks alone.“People always ask me what the trendsare, but I’m not a believer in trends,” saidmale fashion model David Gandy.“Individuality is more important to me,to stand out and have the confidence towear something you’re comfortable in.”Wearing one part or one piece that isnot just outside the norm, but also holdssignificance to your personality can alsobe an incredibly beneficial step in buildingyour confidence.At the end of the day, if you don’t believein what you’re wearing or how you lookin your clothes, it’s more likely that you’llfall back to your comfort level and regressin the direction you want to head instylistically.Of course, there are also indirect ways toappear the way you want to without simplytalking about fashion.“First impressions last.If you start behindthe eight-ball,you’ll never getin front.Looking into wearing fragrances,developing a skincare routine and walkingwith good posture are all ways that peoplecan perceive you without just looking atyour clothes.The hardest thing to do is to takethat first step in changing your look andan important thing to keep in mind isthat people in your general circle mayimmediately notice and make commentswhen you decide to change your directionin fashion.So let’s summarize:1Start by finding examples ofprofessionals in the professionyou’re reaching for.2Take minor steps in adoptingparts of that look into yourregular fashion routine.3Make it your own and addpersonal touches. Give peoplea part of your look to talk about.4Think outside of clothing.The way you smell andwalk can indirectly changeyour image.5Be confident. If youdon’t believe in yourlook, how can you expectothers to do the same?Dressing for successstarts with going more andmore outside your comfortzone until it becomes yournew norm.While starting thatnew fashion journey cansometimes be daunting,eventually people will knowyou for your new look and,in some cases, work to startdressing more like you inthe future.10
Illustrations: Abigail Mathema
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