Pajamas or suits: this is the eternal dilemma that thousands of home-based business owners confront every single day. While office-based employees consider the absence of a defined dress code one of the perks of working from home, and some home-based employees, used to working in their yoga pants and sneakers, nod as a sign of agreement, researchers hurry to express their strong doubts on the influence that attire is having on productivity and work quality, or simply, the performance. “The problem with appearance is that it translates to performance,” Nicole Williams, a career expert at LinkedIn, notes at this respect.
Tackling the issue in their research, Hajo Adam and Adam Galinsky propose a phenomenon called “enclothed cognition”, which states that clothing has a huge impact on the wearer’s psychology and the latter is mainly accounted for by their symbolic meaning and physical experience that the wearer has. And as casual clothing are generally associated with relaxation and less focus, on the background of the aforementioned approach, it becomes obvious that working in more conservative attire is sure to lead to increased attention and better performance even when working from home. Moreover, as a business owner, you would rather adapt yourself to formal wear beforehand, or otherwise you will feel rather uncomfortable at meetings with relevant or possible partners, when the imperative of formal attire would be very much emphasized.
Thus, having properly grounded the importance of being dressed in accordance to your profession, we kindly invite you to start a journey towards the most desirable wardrobe of business owners and hereby present some tips that you need to follow:
1. Colors do matter!
You surely know how important the choice of color is in the branding of a company, and it’s the same when it comes to the establishment of the brand of an individual. To be on the safe side, you need to choose solid colors rather than colorful patterns. For example, blue, black or brown suits are quite appropriate for any business environment, both for men and women. They may be easily combined with a shirt and tie or blouse/shirt and jewelry for reaching a complete look.
2. It is easier to step to success with proper shoes!
Shoes are not only an important complement to any business look, but also a good source of comfort and confidence for the wearer. For women, the choice may range from oxford shoes to plums and high heels, while men usually choose polished leather shoes. Men may find some additional tips on the smartest suits-and-shoes matches here.
3. Accessories are not details!
Accessories are not details or less important, as some business owners tend to think, and even if they are, you should remember that there is a high possibility that your clients may pay attention to them, so be sure to do it first!
Belts and handbags, gold or silver cufflinks and luxury watches, sunglasses and briefcases are often the shortest way towards decoding one’s personality. Those who work from a home-based office often need to establish the idea that their business is quite successful and profitable to be able to attract bigger contracts and projects. For conveying this message, accessories may serve as ideal transmitters. Pachter, an analyst notes, “When I ask the participants in my etiquette classes to name the one accessory that they notice most on both men and women, the watch is the most common answer.” Consequently, a luxury watch on your wrist will guarantee a favourable impression in the eyes of your business partner. So, you can be sure that a Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Mens Steel, the symbol of high-performance and high-achievement, a Rolex Datejust, with its classic yet empowering look or the supremely elegant Patek Philippe Calatrava Automatic are sure to make time tickle for you!
4. Polish your look!
No matter how much effort and money you have invested in creating your look, all will be simply in vane if you fail to maintain a clean and neat appearance. Iron your creased and crumpled shirts, style your hair neatly, and make sure that your shoes are spotless and polished to be able to create the image of a detail-oriented person.
5. Comfort creates confidence, which is impressive!
Yes, being dressed professionally is of utmost importance, still, even the best tailored suits will fail to make the desired impression if you feel uncomfortable within.
So, keep in mind that even formal suits need to be comfortable and fully bearable for the intensely laborious days. You need to favor lighter and more natural fabrics and sometimes get rid of high towering heels.
As you can see, in spite of the fact that the role of clothing is often pushed to the background in the larger plans of action, it is an important factor both when creating the winning first impression as an advantage when negotiating and for improving your own performance and reaching success as a home-based business owner. And the best thing about it is its manageable nature!
So why not benefit from it?
