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How can our clothes affect other people’s opinions about us?
We shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but these are simply subconscious laws we cannot ignore. In fact, we can use them to our advantage. Create the impression you wish by just carefully reconsidering your wardrobe.
There are several factors that influence the first impression:
- Voice timbre;
- Emotional coloring of the conversation;
- Behavior;
- Appearance.
Despite the fact that we have identified 4 factors that influence the formation of the first impression, it is the appearance that plays a particularly important role and says a lot more about you than you think.
Appearance means:
- Hairstyle;
- Makeup;
- Clothing.
Hair and makeup are topics for a separate discussion, but today we will focus on clothes. Let us talk about different outfits form different opinions, and how you can change the opinion about yourself with the help of the right image.
Lines
All clothing lines can be divided into 3 groups:
- Clear, straight;
- Sharp corners, hard, asymmetrical;
- Rounded, blurry.
Each group is responsible for its own emotions and impressions.
Clear and straight lines
Clear, straight, often symmetrical lines are associated with reliability, efficiency, punctuality. In most cases, a person creates an impression of a stable, balanced, decent person. No wonder business people, politicians, businessmen choose suits for their work outfits – they work great for the first impression and help in negotiations, business meetings, deals.
Of course, this does not only apply to costumes. Women who want to create the impression of a businesslike, stable person can also wear dresses. The most successful style is a sheath or pencil dress, which has clear, straight and clear lines.
Due to the first impression, it is important to be careful when building business images in other styles, such as academic or smart-casual – they lack clarity and therefore weaken the impression that you are a business and entrepreneurial person.
Sharp corners, asymmetry, stiffness
Despite the fact that this category of lines, like the previous one, is not devoid of clarity, in combination with angularity, rigidity and asymmetry, they evoke a completely opposite impression. Most often it is:
- Sexuality;
- Uncertainty;
- Intrigue;
- Aggression.
Girls and men, in images built on such lines, are often associated with indefinite and slightly sublime, detached representatives of creative professions – designers, fashion designers, stylists, photographers.
Rounded, blurry
If the image is built on soft, rounded lines, then most likely it will form an opinion about you as a light person, a little infantile, carefree. Sometimes this may associate you with not the most pleasant characteristics – irresponsibility, inconstancy, frivolity.
The same rules work for hair or makeup:
- A smooth, well-defined hairstyle is strict lines, which means confidence, reliability, efficiency;
- Asymmetric, graduated haircuts – intrigue and sexuality, uncertainty;
- Curls, soft bunches – romance, naivety, infantilism.
Next time we will discuss other aspects of our wardrobe and the choice of clothing. Stay tuned!
