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Everyone is in sales. And everyone only has one product. It is the same product. We all are in the business of selling ourselves. And we are doing it all the time. Our sales pitch extends to those with whom we want to spend time, play games, see a movie, and get married. We are selling to those we want to hire, to those who might hire us, and to the stranger on the street we want to impress and cause to think highly of us.
While we are not conscious of it most of the time, the sales never stop. And the tools we use to sell ourselves are always in use. Our daily fashion choices represent one of those tools. It is a part of our branding. The first thing people see is the clothes we wear or don’t wear. It is not our eyes or our smile that generates the first impression.
Branding is not about making a first impression. It is about making a lasting impression. It is the impression that lingers in the mind over a period of time. Pepsi makes a better first impression. But Coke makes a more lasting impression. Guess which product and brand is #1. Here is how you can use your fashion choices to make a more lasting impression:
Fashion as Social Signaling
We wear a lot of social signals. A wedding ring signals our availability status, among other things. An expensive watch signals wealth. Fine jewelry also issues a number of social signals that are valuable to us. These signals are not confined to our accessories, but also include the primary ensemble.
Those custom suits Salt Lake City residents tend to wear are the perfect example of fashion as social signaling. A tailored suit is immediately distinguishable from a suit that is off the rack. So immediately you are signaling that you are a person of refinement that cares about the details. They tend to be more expensive which signals that you have the means to own one. And because suits are the uniform of the business class, you are signaling that you mean business and should be taken seriously.
A custom suit is social signaling at its finest. Before you decide to wear something less, you should also know that everything you wear gives off some type of social signal. It just may not be the one you were intending to send.
Fashion as Personal Branding
There was a period of time that anyone in the Bay Area wearing a black mock-neck, blue jeans, and a pair of New balance would be mistaken for Steve Jobs. That is because these clothes had become a part of his personal brand. Make no mistake about it. This branding was no accident. Steve Jobs cultivated this personal branding over more than a decade of public appearances wearing only that outfit.
Some people brand themselves with a color. They are known in their circles as the person who always wears something pink. Jesse Ventura did just that with his pink feather boa. If you are in a business with a strong color branding, it would serve you well to carry that over to your fashion choices. Fashion branding is one of the most powerful types of personal branding there is.
Fashion as a Spotlight
Another way to use fashion is as a spotlight. If you are the type of person that needs all eyes on you, the easiest way to accomplish this is through fashion statements. Some people do this by wearing brightly colored, mismatched socks. Some do it by strategic rips in expensive jeans. Some do it by showing more skin than others around them. Still, others do it by wearing a tie with a t-shirt, or an off-beat hat.
No matter how hard you try to ignore it, your clothing choices are fashion choices. And they speak volumes about you. So choose fashions that give the right social signals, that forward your personal brand, and make a statement. The clothes you wear do these things anyway. So be more intentional about what your clothes are saying about you.
