Clothing Talks: What Do Your Clothes Say About You?

04/16/2026

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗰, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗿’𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀?

The emperor proudly “wore” his new clothes that only the wise could see, thinking he was the envy of all. No one in the kingdom would admit they couldn’t see his clothes. Instead, they praised the emperor’s new clothes, until a small child declared “But he’s naked!”

Are we are a bit like the emperor – following the dictates of the fashion industry even when those fashions sabotage our goals? As a fashion professor, I understand the importance of looking attractive and fashionable, and the power of the media to sway our perceptions. We want to look attractive, but we also need to manage impressions in a positive way.
 
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿...?
Your clothing choices can give you a huge competitive advantage – if you use them to communicate the right messages — or put you at a substantial disadvantage if you blindly follow fashion dictates. The way you’re dressed tells the world who you are and how you expect to be treated.
 
Take a thorough look in the mirror. What do your clothes communicate about you? Are you sure? Ask a friend or colleague in case they have a different opinion.


𝐏𝐫𝐞-𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 my new book “𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬” 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://lnkd.in/eW47emKb

04/02/2026

One study found that women who carried an expensive designer handbag to an interview were offered a higher starting salary (on average) than women who carried an ordinary handbag. They were not aware of the impact the designer handbag had on their behavior. Luxury brands often result in enhanced perceptions of a person’s wealth and status, leading to preferential treatment. Most people fail to realize that both their perceptions and behaviors are influenced by luxury brand apparel items, because these are subliminal responses.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿...?
By truly understanding how to dress to communicate the messages you desire to communicate, you have a distinct advantage over your colleagues who do not effectively manage impressions through their dress. And it may be just the excuse you need to purchase a luxury handbag – as an investment, of course! I’d love to hear your story.

𝐏𝐫𝐞-𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 my new book “𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬” 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://lnkd.in/eW47emKb

03/30/2026

𝘉𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦 – 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘹 (𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨) 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘯’𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘴 a 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺. 
 
MRI brain scans provide concrete evidence that wearing s*xy clothing triggers a greater focus on a women’s s*xual body parts and decreases the focus on her personality and competencies. These brain patterns confirm that men see s*xually dressed women in ways that resemble object recognition rather than person recognition. As a result, they mentally respond to them as they would respond to an object—evaluating their appearance and usefulness—but not their personality, individuality, or other personal characteristics

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 “𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.” 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘰 — 𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿...?
If a person is absorbed by thoughts about your body, that person will not — and indeed, cannot —give full attention to your personality or abilities since the part of the brain that recognizes your agency is not functioning.

Have you ever experienced a time when a male companion or cohort seemed to have trouble focusing on the discussion? What were you wearing?

𝐏𝐫𝐞-𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 my new book “𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬” 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://lnkd.in/eW47emKb

03/26/2026

03/26/2026

Have you failed to get job offers or promotions you were qualified for? There’s a good chance the way you dress could be holding you back. Even the most stellar credentials cannot erase a mediocre first impression. Remember, perception is reality to those forming the impression; if you don’t look the part, you probably won’t get the part. The onus is on you to present yourself in a way that will earn you a silent, and powerful, recommendation to those making decisions about your career.
 
Almost every company has implied dress expectations for management that subtly announce, “I’m a team member.” That look is usually quiet, not loud. Understated, not flashy. Timeless not trendy. And conservative, not s*xy. Your clothes can be an important tool to help you control how others respond to you. Use that tool to your advantage.

𝐏𝐫𝐞-𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 my new book “𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬” 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://lnkd.in/eW47emKb

03/24/2026

You would be amazed at how often the genuine intentions of women are misinterpreted by men who are likely to assume an interest in s*x when no such intention exists. Scientific evidence confirms that men regularly overestimate the s*xual intent of women based on the provocativeness of their dress.
 
Men and women viewed a photo of a young woman dressed in tight jeans and a revealing top and rated the woman’s motivation for choosing that outfit. The men were much more likely than the women to believe temptation and seduction were her primary motivations for wearing that outfit. When reporting their own motivation for wearing s*xy clothing, 72 percent of the women in this study said they wore fashionably s*xy clothing because they wished to look attractive, not to convey an interest in s*xual advances. Only 5 percent said they dressed s*xy to seduce men.

Not only do men rate women wearing fashionably s*xy dress as s*xier and more seductive than do women, but men rate women in neutral (non-s*xy) dress styles as significantly s*xier than do women.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿?

Wearing fashionably s*xy clothing, even just marginally s*xy, can negatively impact the attention a man will give to your competencies. This failure to fully recognize your competencies puts you at a distinct disadvantage. 
When have you miscommunicated through your appearance? I would love it if you would share an example.

𝐏𝐫𝐞-𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 my new book “𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬” 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://lnkd.in/eW47emKb

ClothingCommunication ClothingAndPerception YourClothingTalks

03/22/2026

Diplomacy is the art of dealing with people in a sensitive and effective way; or to put it in Southern terms, “the art of telling someone to go to hell without making them feel bad.”

When we think of diplomacy, we don’t normally think of dress, but our dress conveys a lot about what we think of others. We show respect when our dress communicates sensitivity to the person or the occasion, such as dressing somber tones for a funeral or not wearing all white to a wedding. When your workplace dress reflects respect for others and the situation, people are more likely to trust you, share information with you, comply with your requests, and cooperate with you.

When Bill Gates, widely noted for wearing T- shirts, was addressing Congress on issues related to his business practices, he wore a suit and tie. When Mark Zuckerberg, also known for his casual dress, had to testify before Congress, he wore a suit and tie. Why would these two highly successful men—well-known for their casual dress—wear a suit and tie to testify before Congress? Could it be these men knew they were appealing to a critical audience who were making decisions that could affect their futures? They understood their appearance could help to diplomatically influence the outcome.
 
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿?

Understanding how to use your clothing choices diplomatically allows you to more effectively appeal to critical audiences who may be making decisions that could affect your success.

How diplomatic is your dress? What cues or characteristics make your dress diplomatic? I’d love to get your feedback.

03/15/2026

Have you ever considered the transformative power of dress? After Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother transformed her clothing into a beautiful gown, she was greeted with awe rather than the disdain she would have faced arriving at the royal ball in her old clothes. One outfit had the power to change everyone’s impression of Cinderella. Your dress can do the same for you. In fact, your dress has the power to immediately and substantially transform your career trajectory.

Individuals viewed videos of women in mock hiring interviews and evaluated their interview performance. Half the women had just completed an interview-training class; the other half had no training. The extensive interview training had no effect on their ratings, BUT their interview dress significantly impacted their performance ratings.

If the Fairy Godmother of career success were to transform your clothing, what would you be wearing?

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿?
The way you dress will impact both your success in getting a job AND your success on the job.

03/02/2026

“Dress professionally; not provocatively!” University recruiters rated conservative tailored outfits as most appropriate for interviews and expressed concern that women students dress too s*xually suggestive. One recruiter comment captured the consensus of most recruiters: “Clothing should not reveal body parts. Clothing should not be s*xually suggestive in any manner.”

Most recruiters say they don’t let clothing impact their selection decisions, but research shows that’s not possible.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿?

Recruiters’ perceptions, based on your clothing and other available factors, guide their assessment of your future job performance – and more. If you dress conservatively, you will enjoy a competitive advantage.

02/26/2026

Information about how to dress strategically to achieve your goals without implementation will not help you achieve the result you desire. What information about strategic dressing would you like to have and how would you use it?

YourClothingTalks