Can you imagine a woman like this on the board of directors of a conservative company? If so, then good for you! However, if her look also involved a wild mane of hair, crimson lipstick, and a husky voice, it is unlikely that even the most open-minded among us would take her as seriously as we would someone who was more conventionally styled. It is not easy to avoid thinking in stereotypes. Firmly ingrained clichés and thought patterns make it easy to pigeonhole people-which sometimes affects our behavior toward them. For example, we automatically assume that well-dressed, well-groomed people will also have good manners-and, as experience shows, we accordingly behave more graciously toward them.
There is virtually no clothes style that does not convey a message. A woman who dresses quietly in neutral colors and nondescript styles is inevitable going to project a mousey image, with the automatic impression likely to be: ""dull, Conservative, boring." Anyone who consistently wears ill-fitting clothes may be considered careless in other areas, too-and, in the worst case scenario, downright sloppy. A woman who is constantly having to dig around in her large, over-stuffed purse conveys the message: disorganised and chaotic. Shoes that adversely affect the way a person walks can signal insecurity and a lack of self-confidence.
Clothes can work both for us and against us-and, with a little coming, can be used to our advantage. So, now is the time to turn the tables! This means deliberately choosing a look in order to create a specific impression-to signal how you want to be perceived. If fashion is to be used effectively in this way, however, one needs to be sure that messages thus conveyed can also be interpreted properly.
"We communicate through our clothes. A figure-hugging, revealing look is not likely to project a classic, serious image-but perhaps that was not the aim in the first place..."
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