You should care about what you wear!

I spend quite a bit of time on social media and reading articles and publications to keep myself current, trying to stay ahead of the change curve.

And in the past few weeks, I have come across a lot of chatter about the importance of how you dress, particularly at work or in professional settings. The opinions range from “I always wear a suit” to “I dress to match my audience and setting” to “It shouldn’t matter how I dress or what I wear” to “I don’t care what people expect, I’m going to be me.”

I have addressed this in the past, and I’ll probably talk about it again in the future, because it elicits such a passion in me. On one hand, I understand that people want to be respected based on their message and the value they bring to the table over how they look. My coaching clients struggle with this and dive deep into how they can make improvements in their executive presence, presentations, demeanor, leadership skills, and succeeding in a new role. The research they have done, the education and experience they have acquired are worth much more than their clothes. But here’s the catch.

You are a walking billboard. You are your product. You are your brand.

Take a listen. There is research that points to the importance of your image.

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