Does Confidence Have a Dress Code?

A few months ago, a former client emailed and said, “I’d like a few refresher sessions with you.” We’d worked together about five years ago and kept in touch here and there off and on over the years. So, we set up a Zoom call.

And, when we both came on cameras, she said, “Wow. You look really nice. What are you doing today? “I said, “I’m meeting with you.” And she lit it. She sat up straighter and said, “Thank you.”

Afterwards, I thought, “of course, I dressed up for her. She deserves it.”

My husband, Henry, just finished his tenth-year teaching personal finance and investments at Lincoln High School. He was known as, “The Guy with the Tie.” He wore one every day. He’d often come home and tell me, “Another student asked me today, ‘Mr. Hooper, why do you wear a tie? And I’d say, ‘Because I respect you.’ And every time, he said they’d smile and say, “Thanks, Mr. Hooper.’”

We all know the world is more casual. In business, especially on Zoom. But that’s why I believe it’s more important than ever to present yourself professionally. To let people know, you respect them or are the best person to include in a key meeting, or are the right person to hire or promote, or recommend.

Yes, I believe in makeup.  A fresh haircut.  A well-trimmed beard, that you don’t play with.

Clothes that fit, not expensive—but intentional. A structured blazer. A pressed shirt. A

sweater that looks good on camera. They all say, “I’m ready.  And you’re worth it.”

There’s even a funny name for the modern Zoom trend called, “Mullet Dressing” --business on top, party on the bottom. It’s fine to wear your yoga pants or athletic shorts. But remember, how you show up from the waist up influences how people see you—AND how you see yourself.

It’s called “Enclothed Cognition.” Studies show that what you wear doesn’t just change how others perceive you, it changes how you think and feel and perform. When you dress the part, your brain follows suit, so to speak!

For the next 30-days, when you turn on your camera, ask yourself, “What message am I sending—about myself, and about how much I value the person on the other side of the screen?” Because when you present yourself with confidence, people notice, and they respond.

Thanks for reading.