Do you know that feeling that you get? That thought that says, “yes I want to dress up today.” Not for any particular reason, but simply because you want to feel great about yourself at least one day of the week. So, you pick out a nice outfit. Perhaps a cute skirt and blouse, maybe it’s some dark jeans and a fashionable shirt, or a button up shirt and some slacks, whatever floats your boat. Picture that outfit… now girls, imagine that you decide to fancy up your hair rather than putting up your bed-head hair.
You slip into the market and buy yourself some delicious sweet tea. You open your tea and take a swig while walking out the door. As you’re getting ready to put the lid back on the bottle, the unthinkable happens, the person in front of you stops abruptly and tea goes all over.
I am only somewhat ashamed to say that I have been that girl who spilt her tea. But let me tell you, it was embarrassing. Luckily it had been a Sunday and I had time to go change, but what if I had to go to class with tea down my shirt? Or worse, if I had an interview and didn’t have time to change?
Well, this whole experience got me thinking about why people dress up for important events. In particular, for work related situations like an interview, or a meeting, or really just everyday you’re on the job. It seems that dressing up has simply become one of society’s mandates.
Emma Zimmerman, freshman pre-journalism major, always finds herself dressing for the situation at hand. “It’s definitely a mandatory thing,” Zimmerman said. “You have to make sure that you dress in a way that matches the job, even if it doesn’t always match what you wear every day.”
Dressing ourselves appropriately has become an important part of everyday life. It would seem that society has placed a value on appearance that is unequal to the value of personality. A first impression is quite likely more when someone first sees you than when someone first meets you.
We even put ourselves to the point where we are uncomfortable in what we wear (i.e. shoes, ties, skirts, etc.). What is the sense of putting yourself through such an experience, when, truly, it is your demeanor and work ethic that determines whether you are hired, or whether you can act professional, or perform well? When looking at what an interviewer looks for, we find that they are more concerned with your body language, eye contact and your ability to give truthful and fitting answers.
Just exactly how much it matters to dress up is only met with how much it pains most people to do it. What is the point of wearing heels to work only to have to take them off before you even make it home? It seems only that one might judge whether you care about being hired based off of what you wear, rather than what you have to say within the interview or how much effort you put into doing your job.
Now I won’t say that clothing doesn’t represent you, but it shouldn’t necessarily summarize you. What you do despite your apparel should have infinite more meaning. Just because someone can afford that nice suit or those amazing diamond earrings, it doesn’t make that person smarter or better equipped for the job. If what someone is wearing during an interview is the focal point over whether their skill set meets the needs, then I would say that there is a huge problem. It seems wrong that we are not valuing the person in front of us, but merely allowing their appearance speak for them.