Recently a
Beautylish blogger conducted an experiment involving personal appearance and how she was treated while traveling. Check out the post
here, and then let me know what you think. Do you think how casually or formally someone's dressed affects how you treat them? Should it?
Thought-provoking. I don't get a chance to fly much (especially lately), but I always preferred to look professional and somewhat dressy. I've found though that the crowded flights, crowded space in the seats, and intrusive security measures make for a long, uncomfortable day so I have to balance my desire for a serious look with my need for comfort.
ReplyDeleteI guess that when someone is dressed up, they've put thought, effort, and time into their appearance. This can show self-respect which then makes other people want to treat them with respect too. And even writing this, I'm aware that it sounds judgmental as if people who aren't dressed up don't have self-respect or are sloppy. That's not at all what I mean! It's just that when a traveler dresses up, they've gone BEYOND the norm, and people tend to appreciate that. It somehow communicates the idea that "I think what I'm doing and the people I'm interacting with are important enough for me take extra time in preparing my appearance." People appreciate effort.
Everybody should be treated with civility, professionalism, and respect. But if someone looks like they've gone the extra mile in how they dress or do their hair, people will show their appreciation of that by going beyond the expected and offering extra service.
It's kind of uncomfortable to discuss. I'm certainly writing this as a mom who's gone to the store or dropped her kids off at school in sweat pants and a hoodie with uncombed hair because I'm exhausted. Should people treat me with courtesy? Absolutely. But will people take me more seriously if I am well-coifed, dressed professionally with matching shoes and a touch of make-up? They'll probably view me the way that I APPEAR to view myself by the way I choose to present myself to the world.
I hear what you're saying and definitely agree that, consciously or not (probably not, usually), people respond to how you appear to view yourself...as evidenced by how you present yourself to the world. And it does make sense to me that that happens. I'm not saying that one should set out to be, say, frumpy. In fact, in another post, Does Appearance Matter After All?, I addressed this very issue.
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