Some of us are sloppy dressers. It’s just a habit that we get into when we’re young that sticks around for longer than we’d like. But the way we dress can have a big impact on the way we feel. One day we can be walking past a mirror and see ourselves and think, “what a mess.”

Dressing smart is more than just about outward appearance. It can also have a dramatic effect on how we feel on the inside and how we are treated by others. We’re much more likely to listen to somebody if they’re well-dressed than we are if they look a mess.

Advertisers also know the importance of dress. Even though we know that the people in drug adverts wearing white lab coats are actors, the very fact that they’re wearing those outfits unconsciously makes us trust them more.

If you want to be successful in life, whether it’s meeting a new partner or moving up the ranks in the world of business, the way you dress matters a lot. Here’s what to do.

Consider Your Audience

Businesses plow millions of dollars into marketing every year. But why do they do it? The superficial answer is that they want to sell their products. But the real reasons are deeper than that. Yes, they want to sell a product, but they want to do so by changing the perceptions people have of them. In other words, they want to come across so well that customers won’t even think about going to their competitors.

People who want to dress smart need to take a similar attitude. They need to think carefully about the attitudes of the people they want to influence and what signals their clothing needs to send. The way you’d dress at a sales pitch to a law firm is likely to be very different to the way you’d dress if you were trying to sell products to a sports team.

Find A Tailor

There’s a reason tailors have been around since time immemorial: nothing looks better, or more flattering, than clothing that has been custom-made for your body. The problem with regular clothing is that it is designed for the average person. Since nobody is actually average, this means that we all have to walk around all day in clothes that don’t really fit us. And while this might be okay on the weekend, it’s no good when we’re trying to create a good impression.



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The solution is to find a tailor. If you’re on the move a lot, use a traveling tailor - someone who will come to you and take your measurements. Tailors usually make made-to-measure suits, allowing you to finally wear something that hugs your physique.

Dress In Dark Colors

There are a couple of reasons to dress in darker colors. The first is that cheaper materials don’t show as much when the fabric is darker, allowing you to save money. And the second is the fact that dark colors have repeatedly been shown to evoke a sense of professionalism. Wearing dark colors means that people are more likely to take you seriously.