Spring has sprung in Atlanta, and so have the tattoos, body piercing, flabby arms, cellulite, and too much skin showing…
Last weekend was the first warm weekend we’ve had this year and as all Atlantans know, as soon as it’s above 65 degrees, people start wearing flip flops and shorts. That’s fine if you look decent and appropriate – meaning your clothes are clean, pressed, tucked-in where needed, etc. But if you look like you just threw on whatever clothes were sitting on the top of the laundry pile – think wrinkled t-shirts, scuffed-up sneakers, shorts that hang off you – you’re definitely sending off the wrong signals!
When I took my weekly trip to the grocery store I could not believe my eyes. Don’t people have full-length mirrors? And if they do, do they look at themselves before they go out the door? I certainly don’t get dressed up to go to the grocery store, but there are some limits. What if you were to run into your boss, your ex-wife, your ex-boyfriend or a prospective client???? You would not be impressing anyone in your ragged sweats, holey shirt, tasteless joke t-shirt, or too-tight tube top.
People who stand out of the crowd are those that are consistent in everything they do. Studies show that if someone sees another person several times in different settings and that person is consistently well dressed and well groomed, he/she will be perceived as having a higher education; exhibiting high values in life; as being successful in their business, and so on. So if you dress appropriately for work but look like a bum on weekends, you are sending mixed messages and people won’t know who you really are. If you are a professional, such as an attorney, CPA or banker, do you want people to question your credibility? It only takes 10 to 15 seconds for someone to judge you when they first meet you. Don’t you want that first impression to be a good one?
So, before you walk out the door, make sure you look like who you are. You never know who you are going to run into.