ELEMENTS OF STYLE
THE POWER OF STYLE
PART X
Imani Smith
3.1.22
It’s no secret that the way that you’re dressed has a direct effect on the way that you’re addressed.
Perception is reality and the way that you’re perceived has the power to alter your reality. Have you ever noticed how differently you’re treated when you’re running a quick errand in your pajamas versus when you’re dressed to the nines in preparation for a night on the town? Have you noticed, in your periphery, the difference in the lengths of the gazes & the tones of the voices that address you? Or lack there of? Unfortunately, we as humans are wired to compartmentalize everything. We live is such a vast and complex reality that we’ve developed quick and easy ways to classify things in order to gain a high level of understanding of them. A lower level of understanding would take too much time and energy- so we assume.
Widespread assumptions evolve into stereotypes. When you wear your pajamas to run that quick errand, onlookers assume that you may be impoverished, uneducated or worse: unworthy of respect. When you’re draped in well crafted, perfectly fitted garments with sophisticated details people’s imaginations may run wild with whimsical possibilities. Suddenly doors are being held for you, eye contact may be more intense, postures may stiffen because you look like SOMEBODY. Maybe you haven’t noticed the subtle differences in your encounters because you may not veer off of the beaten path paved with your normal style choices. Maybe you’re conventionally attractive and people hardly pay any mind to your clothes.
I’m not saying that playing into respectability politics is the answer. I’m saying that however you dress, just do it well. Dress your body with pride, from head to toe.
So much of life is about the nonverbal, the superficial, the nuances.
I find that being well dressed is a silent marketing tool that can be used to your advantage. It’s a covert way to command attention and to paint whatever picture you’d like once you have someone’s eyes glued to your every move. Great style can literally captivate. You only have 1 chance to make a first impression. Wouldn’t you love for it to be something along the lines of “Wow, they look amazing!”?