According to recent studies done in the UK, only one out of 10 employees actually wears a suit to work, and the numbers are likely similar in the US. Many people love the rising trend of business casual dress codes in the office, however science suggests that dressing up for work improves performance. You may love wearing jeans to the office, but these statistics might make you rethink your daily outfit choices, or at the very least complete your outfit with a blazer.
Formal business attire increases abstract thinking abilities
This is thought to be related to feeling more powerful when wearing formal business attire. A paper in Social Psychological and Personality Science suggested that subjects did better with abstract thinking and strategizing when they were dressed up. The saying goes, “dress for the job you want, not the job you have,” and it turns out that there’s some science behind that statement!
I talk a lot about how feeling confident in what you’re wearing improves your capabilities, and the data goes hand in hand with this belief. When you begin to feel more confident in yourself, you’ll likely push yourself to accomplish more and put your best foot forward. This will benefit you in your career, but also in every other aspect of your life.
Dressing up improves your ability to negotiate
Again, this probably stems from feeling powerful in better clothing. Subjects were asked to wear casual clothing, sweats, and suits, then were placed in a negotiation game. The ones who dressed up secured more profitable deals than the other two groups.
This is why it’s always important to dress up for a phone interview or phone meeting. If you want to be at the top of your game, it’s important to dress well in order to put yourself in the right mindset. If you’re in pajamas, it will likely be harder for you to focus.
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Wearing business casual or casual clothing to work isn’t the end of the world, and many people today will argue that wearing more casual clothing makes them more comfortable and therefor more productive. With that in mind, science suggests that dressing up for work improves performance. Whether it’s something as small as putting on a blazer or nice shoes, wearing clothing that makes you feel more confident and more powerful will help you at work.
You don’t have to consistently opt for business formal clothing (some offices might discourage it) but consider dressing up for a big meeting or event where you want to ensure that you are giving your best effort.