Clothing and Appearance

1
Clothing and Appearance

• Objectives of presentation

Show how easily a we misjudge people based on
appearance alone
Identify why appearance is so important
Give ideas on how to change appearance for
situations such as job interviews
2
Clothing and Appearance

• Clothing and appearance as nonverbal
  communication tell who we are, our age, gender,
  status, socioeconomic class and race
  
• Nonverbal communication is not an exact science,
  it is easy to make a bad or false first
  impression based on what you wear and how you look

3
Choose this mans occupation and see how good you
are at making a snap judgement based on first
impressions.

• A. Fishing Boat Captain
• B. Car Salesman
• C. CEO of a Major Corporation

C. CEO of a Major Corporation
4
Choose this womans occupation and see how good
you are at making a snap judgement based on first
impressions.

• A. School Bus Driver
• B. Prisoner in a federal Prison
• C. Stay at Home Mother of Two Teenagers.

C. Stay at Home Mother of Two Teenagers
5
Choose this mans occupation and see how good you
are at making a snap judgement based on first
impressions.

• A. Multimillionaire Who Made His Fortune Working
  for Microsoft
  
• B. Karate Instructor
• C. Homeless Man Who Lives Out of His Car

B. Karate Instructor
6
What Makes a First Impression?

• Clothing
• Cleanliness and grooming
• Hair style and color
• Body weight
• Height
• Race

7
Problems with Clothing and Appearance as
Nonverbal Communication

• People often look at appearances to make a first
  impression which can be interpreted incorrectly
  
• Bad first impressions can be harmful in many
  situations like..

Job interviews, meeting with potential clients,
meeting new in-laws and being successful when
dealing with the public
8
How to Make a Good First Impression in an
Interview

• Research the company to find out its values

Find out what type of dress code is enforced and
dress appropriately

Companies report that they base 90 of their
decision on whether an interviewee is right for
the job based on appearance alone
Many employers decide within the first 30 seconds
if an applicant will fit into their company based
on looks
9
How to Make a Good First Impression in an
Interview

• Clothing often speaks louder than skills, If you
  do not dress up for the interview you send a
  message that you are not interested in the job
  

A navy blue or gray suit is acceptable for both
men and women Clothes should be squeaky clean Je
welry, makeup, perfumes and cologne should be
kept to a minimum
10
Appearances We Cannot Change and how to deal with
them

• Weight, height and race

Work to change people views on appearances we
cannot change Accept who you are and be proud, th
is nonverbal communication is also powerful
Perfect the appearance features that you can
change
11
How a Positive Appearance can be beneficial

• Researchers have found that the better your
  appearance, the more money you make
  
• People who value their appearance are often
  promoted faster and higher
  
• People with a pleasing appearance seem more
  credible, influential and you are more persuasive