With this project I tried to dress as far out of my comfort zone as possible with the clothes available in my closet. Typically I would never wear the first outfit pictured. For example, I only wear the blazer and loafers when I am going to job interviews. I bought the skirt months ago and have yet to wear it out (until now). In short, I prefer to dress much more casually in my personal life so I wanted to see what other student’s reactions would be if I dressed professionally for class.
Students did not seem too shocked. Many thought I was dressing for a class presentation. Others assumed I was a graduate student, and a few students thought I might be an accounting major. I don’t think that wearing my usual outfit of jean shorts and a t shirt would elicit these same reactions. When someone dresses professionally I think that people tend to assume there is some level of importance to whatever that individual is doing. Interestingly, I felt that strangers were much more open to speaking with me while I was wearing my “professional outfit” compared to my everyday casual wear. Similarly, I also felt important and empowered in the formal look so I had additional confidence when speaking with strangers.
As much as we would like to believe in people’s ability to see beyond the surface I think it is important that we recognize the impact that our appearances have on the perceptions of others. Certainly it is not something to dwell on, but if you would like to make a certain impression, such as seeming competent at a job interview, it might be wise to dress accordingly.
ART 110 Blog 