How to Feel Smart in Bunny Slippers
It’s been said on this blog and in other professional sources that dressing for success means you’ll accomplish more than the next guy. That’s certainly true when it comes to other people’s perceptions of you, and I admit most times those perceptions carry a lot of weight. I’ve never been able to forget what one acquaintance of mine once told me, “Perception is the only thing that counts.”
I’m still digesting that. In my pajamas. And from this perspective, I’m afraid that’s a pretty shallow point of view.
‘Course, I’m working from home today.
Despite my solid understanding that good fashion (and sadly on some occasions even good hygiene) doesn’t pay the mortgage in this house; the days my husband comes home wearing a suit and tie are the days he doesn’t need to convince me that he earned his money that day. In casual Austin, TX, and furthermore, in the world of software code writers, this occurs only a couple of times a year – and it almost always means he entertained out-of-town visitors, or arrived home from a business trip to somewhere far more stuffy. On those days the dear man fairly exudes that professional edge we come to associate with influence, competence and accomplishment, if not a certain bedraggled-ness.
No, wait I take that back; I used to associate dressing well with all those things. That was when we both worked in the corporate world, before he moved his software department to a college town 2000 miles and two time zones away from the home office. Today, it’s not uncommon for him to alternate between the BBQ and the computer while listening to old Metallica CDs. I’ve witnessed this done quite successfully; in this house, that’s getting down to business. As they say in Texas, Yeehah!
Don’t get me wrong; making a living this way isn’t for everyone. Sometimes, when I see the same old grungy baseball cap and the rip in his front pocket, I forget that Mr. Man really does kick butt at work. In truth, every time you sit down to your computer or answer your i-phone, you access a little bit of the brainchild of someone who can measure thin films down to the atom. Never mind the wrinkles in his favorite Hawaiian shirt.
As a freelance writer, I’m partial to yoga pants. Trust me, I’d never get promoted in these, but I can write a blue streak.
I bet if you took a poll, a huge chunk of the workforce feels that dressing well is all just a glossy fabricated rattrap. For those of us who aren’t used to dressing up every day, or who just don’t see the necessity of it, the “I’m-too-sexy-for-my-shirt” bit takes over our consciousness particularly because choosing sharp clothes (that match) really IS a bona fide achievement. Completion of this seemingly simple task, especially if done before noon, can really add a level of accomplishment lacking from an ordinary workday. But however pleasant, that awareness can be perturbing.
If you toil alone most days, dressing well — or at all — is a distraction. You’re constantly thinking, “Damn, I look good; I should go out to lunch or something.” Sometimes nice clothes feel lovely, and they do indeed elevate the task at hand. But just because they are painstaking to put it on, doesn’t mean a great outfit necessarily “works.” Some hardworking Americans may even feel self conscious and unable to focus on the job before them.
For geeky people like software engineers and copywriters, dressing in something other than PJs or that favorite soft flannel camo hunting shirt doesn’t contribute much to our game faces, which no one sees when we do something brilliant, like write an excellent sentence or a nearly-transcendent line of code. Add the regrettable reality that 78% of these ‘booyah’ moments occur immediately upon waking. Do you stop and dress for success? Of course not; in fact, I maintain that bunny slippers may even give us an edge.
So for those who can get in “the zone” only when flying solo; I say be comfy. Just remember to don some apparel when you meet your customers. For your sake as much as theirs. As the Smothers Brothers sang in their famous Streets of Laredo parody:
I can see by your outfit that you are a cowboy.
I see by your outfit you are a cowboy too.
We see by our outfits that we are both cowboys.
If you get an outfit, you can be a cowboy too.
Perception may be everything, but doing a great job is what’ll keep ‘em coming back for more.
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