In the United States, around 8 million of us work from home. The concept of the home business has seen significant uptake in recent years, thanks in no small part to the development of the digital age. New technologies and ways of thinking have made remote work a reality for so many individuals.
With this shift in working life comes a shift in other aspects of general day-to-day life as well. Many people find they are much more flexible in their schedules, able to take time off when needed, and able to work weekends or at unsociable hours to free up other slots in the day. A home business allows for certain freedoms that traditional work does not. One such freedom is the ability to pick and choose whatever you want to wear, whenever you want to wear it.
But should you be so blasé when it comes to what you wear to work, even if you work from home? We’ve all heard the “dress for success” cliché — is there actually any weight to it?
The Psychological Impact of Clothing
Those who work from home will be familiar with this scenario: You rise from bed and head to your work station, still in your nightwear.
The temptation to just sit in your pajamas can be strong. Why bother getting dressed when there is no need? If you do decide to get changed, you’ll likely opt for more casual attire — perhaps a t-shirt and jeans. Research has shown that the majority of people attending an office or external place of work actually wear casual clothing, which doesn’t bode well for people who don’t even have to leave the house. But why are we talking about this as if it’s a negative element of remote work?
Because wearing your pajamas on the job is proven to impact productivity and performance, as is any other kind of casual clothing.
Studies into the psychology of work attire have yielded surprising results. It has been discovered that formal workwear increases creative and strategic thinking, thought to be linked to a sense of power and authority that comes attached to the idea of professional working outfits. Other studies have revealed that formal work clothing can increase alertness and attention, reducing mistakes made by up to 50%, and boosting focus on work projects.
The science behind this psychology effectively comes down to attitude. Our minds are guilty of making judgments as a core part of decision-making. As a result, when we see and wear different types of clothing, we respond in different ways. In practice, this means that if you put on casual work attire, you adopt a more casual outlook. If you wear a professional uniform, you’ll enter a more work-effective mindset.
This process was demonstrated quite effectively in an experiment documented in the Journal of Experimental Psychology. A series of male participants were asked to either wear formal and professional attire or casual clothing, such as sweatpants. They were then invited into a scenario whereby they had to negotiate a business contract with an associate who was unaware of the nature of the experiment. The researchers observed a number of physiological reactions; most notably, those wearing professional work clothing were more vigilant and perceptive, had increased levels of testosterone, and experienced a heightened nervous system response (they were more alert and engaged). The result of the experiment was that those dressed in professional workwear had increased social presence and negotiation skills, and were able to secure more profitable deals with better concessions.
What Does This Mean for Home Business Owners?
Effectively, professional clothing has been proven to enhance on-the-job performance and make people better at task completion. Therefore, the key takeaway from this information is simple: if you want to be more effective in your home business work, adopting workwear uniforms and a professional dress code has proven benefits. Just because you’re home alone, doesn’t mean you should dress like it.
Of course, it may seem like an old-fashioned notion. The evolution of the working environment and the fact that you are able to operate a business from home instead of an office located miles away means times have changed. Yet the data doesn’t lie. Certain aspects of business, such as professional attire, have developed because of their benefits. While you may be stepping away from the traditional by investing your time in remote work, don’t forget that a few aspects of what you might consider “normal working life” still have their value.
Professional work clothing is one such element of business that shouldn’t be left in the past.
