What do you think of this article?

[Porthopper101]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/02/wearing-a-suit-psychology_n_7188356.html

[slidergirl]

Poor research. Using a bunch of college kids from the San Fernando Valley (aka "the Valley") who are going to Cal State Northridge because they weren't smart enough to get into UCLA or didn't have the family connections to get into USC is a bad subject group. When surveys use college kids, they are usually getting the kids who are doing the survey because they need X numbers of hours of research volunteer duty for their Sociology/Psychology classes. Columbia Business School has a stake in maintaining the "status quo" that Business knows best…

The comments were more on-point. When I was reading that article, I immediately thought left/right brain issues. Kind of like Wall Street vs Silicon Valley; Wall Street encourages group think/behavior/strict rules, hence lots of suits, while Silicon Valley encourages individuality/thinking outside the box/stretching bounds to find new products, hence the "Steve Jobs" look. Putting on a suit does not make one smarter, how smart you are will be evident the moment you open your mouth.

I did some research projects as a Sociology major that dealt with perceptions. One dealt with outward appearance vs. actions. The "pretty" girl who was a slacker would rank higher than the "homely" girl who was a good worker. It didn't have to do with clothes, but their physical appearance. The clothes were the same. Yes, this was done with college kids, so I'm not surprised that looks outdid actions. When I got into Computer world, it was still the Business suit culture. But, as networking exploded (yes, I was there and worked with people who DID invent the Internet ;) ), more creative minds came onboard. Dress "codes" were slowly relaxed, but our intelligence and ability to work did not decline. I now work in Hospitality and am required to wear a uniform. Every time I put on that uniform, I feel my intelligence drain as I must reduce myself to the robotics of the job with little room for creativity.

 

Besides, the study did not mean wearing "formal" wear - that was a poor choice of words. I don't know of anyone in their right mind who would wear a tux or a ball gown to work (unless they are a professional ballroom dancer or maybe a high-end "walker"). And, putting a tux on Joe Plumber isn't going to immediately turn him into George C… ;)

Edited May 3, 2015 by slidergirl

[ger_77]

I know I feel different when I'm wearing jeans and a t-shirt, compared to a dress, jewellery, and heels. I would never use the word "elegant" to describe how I feel in my daytime attire, but I sure do when I get dressed for a night out.

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

 

[Keksie]

George Clooney is a very good looking man. Other than that not much.

[CowPrincess]

I would really want to see the study methodology and the raw data. Then I'd want to study the researchers to identify their biases that may influence their interpretations of the data, AND their design of the study.

 

I worked in IT. Clothing choices could never be used to identify the best, the brightest, the smartest, the duller, the lazier, the leaders or the followers.