The assertion that we are what we put on is true and remains largely accepted by the majority. The clothes we wear and how we wear them say a lot about us. What we put on portrays our outward appearance, which is the mirror of our character and personality. In the contemporary world, where beauty is a highly cherished value and a place where our clothing changes our psychological feeling and view of ourselves and our outer behavior, people tend to easily pass judgment on us based on our appearance. The dressing has taken a particular pattern that is associated with certain age groups and easily tied to pre-defined character stereotypes. These stereotypes have relatively unique common characteristics. For example, a man wearing a baseball cap backward has a totally different character to that wearing a round hat. Consequently, a lot of people, companies, and institutions have come up with their professional dressing codes aimed at portraying a certain image and level of professionalism.
When it comes to seeking employment opportunities, there is a mode of dressing that you are expected to adapt to succeed. Indeed there are many articles that have been written on “How to dress for the interview” to help people know how they are required to appear before interviewing panels and be able to get the post. This is because the mode of dressing during this occasion has some requirements aimed at portraying a certain personality. A man in a well-trimmed black suit with a matching striped tie is seen to be confident, decent, fitting to the occasion, and mature. A man who attends a job interview in a polo T-shirt and jeans is seen to be less serious. Her clothes have been used as a symbol of possession of the right qualifications for a certain job.
In the social sphere, our outside appearance counts for who become our friends are and where we spend most of our leisure time. Our appearance portrays our social and economic status. A rich man is more likely to put on well-trimmed designer clothes and shoes as compared to a man who has a low income. He is likely to go for simple second-hand clothes, which he can easily stretch his budget into. In a world where certain clothes are associated with certain designer cloth stores, celebrity status, and social class, it is easy to judge one social status by his / her way of dressing.
Our clothing also says a lot about our level of physical and mental maturity, ethics, and moral values. A lady who puts on a suit with her skirt just above her knees gets more respect than another one who puts on a micro mini skirt to a party. The first lady is seen to have more personal respect and social ethics and has more favor in the eyes of society. On the same note, our dressing shows our cultural backgrounds and origin. Different cultures and societies value different modes of dressing, and what may appear as decent in one culture may turn to be indecent in others. A man who wears a kikoi and turban to his office in Pakistan may need to put on a suit if he is employed in another country like the USA.
Our appearance also symbolizes our emotional communication. When someone is in a melancholic mood or is sick, he/ she is more likely to put on clothes having cool colors. And when we are happy, we reflect this happiness by wearing bright-colored clothes. I the same note, our choice of clothes indicates our level of comfort and sense of belonging to a certain group. We have a feeling that we “fit in” in that group. They also indicate our affiliations to certain clubs, groups, and associations when we wear club-labeled clothes.
In conclusion, we can say that what we wear sends signals of who we are to our surroundings, and these affect the way the people around us view and interact with us.