What We Wear Matters!

I am a firm believer that what we wear and how we handle ourselves matter in many occasions. I even talked about the importance of dressing business attire at work (also business casual during the summer). I, however, must confess that I feel somewhat surprised when reading George Hobica’s discussion on USA Today.

According to George, wearing a nice suit got his friend and him an upgrade from the economy-class all the way to the first class when they flew. None of them have elite status of the airlines; the planes were not even full. When everybody else is charged extra fees for a couple inches of extra leg room or an aisle seat, how come they are so “lucky” to get upgraded? Here is what the gate agent said according to George’s direct quote: “our station manager noticed how well dressed you were and told me to upgrade you.”

So, what do we learn from this story? Are we getting another good excuse to shop more? Or do we have to wear suit and tie all the time? Actually, my point is: what we wear and how we handle ourselves matter in all settings. The fact is human beings could be very judgmental at times. We can influence others’, especially strangers’, impression of us by taking good care of our appearance --- it may seem that I am using the impression management theory again. Well, let’s forget about the impression management theory. Do you sometimes feel good about yourself just because you are wearing a very nice dress?

References:
George Hobica (2011, August 10). Fly guy: Do well-dressed fliers get more perks? USA Today online
Picture was downloaded from NoHolidayNoLife.com

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