Let's Stop Dressing to the Lowest Common Denominator!

Greetings! 

There was a recent article written by Annie Holmquist and I had to stop and read it. The reason was I stopped in my tracks and said, oh my, someone else noticed our dress these days and it is not good. 

She writes that the way we dress is really a subtle message about how we see ourselves and others, how we respect others, and how we communicate. 

I see this lowest common denominator dressing all the time. When I am on a Zoom call early in the morning with business folks, I see some that just got out of bed and have not put a brush to their hair and probably not even their teeth. I see folks in shorts, tee shirts, and flip flops at very nice restaurants (and usually if I get the chance to see their feet in those flip flops, oh my, I won't even go there, disgusting to say the least. Even in church, folks dress down and I mean down. I know that we should be thankful they are in church; however, really folks. 

We have the ability to determine how we will be seen by others, so we can dress thoughtfully or not. We cannot however, control how others will react to us. But why not dress appropriately and you will be able to bank on a positive response from others. 

Some will say, "Who cares?" I am comfortable and I am just blending in with the rest of society. Is that what you want, especially when you look around and see how the rest of society is dressing. 

I work with folks helping them to achieve the next level of work/position and spend time getting them to understand the importance of dress. The folks who finally give in to this notion reap the benefits. 

When I ran a very large call center, I remember employees getting mad when they found out they could not "dress in jeans". They would tell me no one could see them as they were only talking by phone. I would respond, that is true; however, your dress will affect your communication with the client. I want that communication to be the best it can be, each and every time. I remember a young man finally getting this concept and he started dressing thoughtfully. He came to me and said that I was right. He felt much better about himself and his communication and interaction was much more professional. I rest my case.

Start the New Year of 2026 with the goal of dressing thoughtfully everywhere you go. Let me know how it goes and the impact this has on you! 

Until next month, 

Nyda