Psychology of a Professional Image

We communicate with others not only thru speaking, but also thru our appearance, our body language and our attitude. Within 90 seconds of meeting someone they subconsciously make several very important decisions concerning us — before we even speak. Studies show that 55% of a first impression is formed by our appearance and body language, 38% by our voice and only 7% from how we actually look. Some of those decisions are based upon:

What kind of message are we sending? We've all been treated well when dressed well and poorly when dressed poorly. This may not be fair but many people never get past that first impression. That's why it is so important to spend some time learning about what our appropriate corporate image is and how to most easily achieve it.

When we get up in the mornings, take care of our personal grooming and get dressed for work, we are really dressing not just for ourselves but for our employer, our co-workers, people we come into contact with during the day and, most importantly, ourselves. It's no secret that our appearance affects our feelings about ourselves and others. I also firmly believe it affects our performance on the job.

My attitude definitely is different when I am in sweats versus businesswear. One rule of thumb when assessing the psychology of image that has always helped me to prioritize is that I work for money and dress however it will help me earn the most, and that in my personal life I work for love and affection and it is best if I keep the two separate.

Corporate image does not require we abandon our individuality, but to find our best assets and build on them, while working within guidelines we are aware of in our workplace. We can still take into consideration our own personal style and physical attributes. Each person is unique and can establish a style of dress that is both convenient and affordable. There is a big difference between style and fashion. Style comes from within. Fashion is imposed from without. We have style but we use fashion.

We all have distinct personalities and those come into play in our dress as well. However, we might need to tone some aspects down in the interest of career advancement, employer dictates and acceptance by our peers. For instance, I have a very dramatic side to my personality but work in a conservative climate. I save my animal prints for casual wear. If you've never really found your style, you might tend to dress too neutral and vague. If people seem to treat you that way, then you may need to begin work on establishing your individual image.

We all enjoy looking at a physically beautiful person, and if this person dresses for attention, they will certainly get it. Unfortunately, in many cases they may not get respect for their accomplishments and abilities.

Developing a true image of your corporate best self is what we're talking about. It's especially important if you're a person with high ambitions and a realistic appraisal of the potential of proper dressing for your career.

One tip!!! When you're down, dress up. There are so many things in life we can't control, but we can control how we look and how we look has a great deal to do with how we feel about ourselves and how others treat us.

Quality in our clothes and accessories speaks volumes and is always a good investment. One good leather belt is worth ten cheap vinyl ones. Two pairs of good leather shoes will replace twenty pairs of impulse buys. We'll get to more of this later.

There is no hard and set list of rules, just reminders of what is considered appropriate, how to achieve it and how to do that while still maintaining your own personal style.

An excellent line for building a Working Wardrobe is Ingenuity, since it is washable and in-stock with fast delivery. Most of the clients I work with are not top management but mid-level and they need to eliminate dry-cleaning costs.