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New research confirms that more formal, expensive clothes consistently convey positive images of competency and trustworthiness than a less formal, cheaper wardrobe.
It pains me to write this article, because I find wearing a suit and tie very uncomfortable. Yet, that study by highly credentialed authors in the psychology department at Princeton University reached conclusions you need to know. The study was published on December 9, 2019 in Nature Human Behavior.
I found the findings of the study both disturbing and illuminating.
The study
The researchers conducted nine experiments. They initially showed participants images of 50 faces representing different races. Each person in the images was wearing clothes rated independently as depicting a “rich” or “poor” look. Another group of independent raters found only mild differences in the “richness” or “poorness” of the clothes worn by those on the images.
Then participants in the studies were exposed to the images for very short bursts of time, ranging from one second to 130 milliseconds. Half were shown images of those wearing “rich” clothing. The other half viewed those wearing “poor” clothing. Both groups were asked to express a “gut” feeling of competence, and rate the images for the level of competence of the person in the image on a numerical scale.
Other studies replaced more formal with less formal clothing. In some studies, participants were explicitly informed of the lack of any relationship between clothes and competence, or to ignore clothing altogether, or were provided with information about the profession and income of the faces they were viewing.
The results
Across all studies, regardless of the disclaimers, participants rated those dressed in “rich” clothes as more competent. These results persisted even when participants were incentivized by monetary rewards to be as accurate as possible.
The researchers concluded, “These findings support the notion of uncontrollable effects of minor contextual cues in face perception, and are consistent with a large body of research that finds people spontaneously encode the context surrounding a face when making social judgments.” They cited other research with similar results when participants were asked to rate images for trustworthiness.
The most troubling ramification of these studies is the conclusion that those of lower economic status may be perceived as less competent, with all the negative ramifications that conclusion implies, based solely on what they are wearing, regardless of merit.
The conclusion is inescapable: Economic status cues from clothes naturally intervene in people’s assessments of competence and people spontaneously encode the context surrounding a face when making social judgments.
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Consequences for you
Every study I’ve seen reinforces this takeaway for advisors: Dress formally in the best clothes you can afford.
I’m aware this admonition will be implemented differently by men and women, and that your geographical location and particular demographic may require additional adjustments. However, prospects and clients want their advisors to convey an image of professionalism, honesty and trustworthiness.
A personal shopper in a high-end store in your area can help you find the outfit that meets those requirements.
There’s a lot in life you can’t control. Fortunately, you can control your clothes, and the initial impression they make.
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Advisor Perspectives welcomes guest contributions. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of Advisor Perspectives.
