You may have already heard the phrases ‘first impressions count’ and ‘dress for success’, but recent studies have demonstrated that there’s more truth to this statement than we may have initially thought. For example, researchers at Yale looked at how a person’s outfit could influence their buying and selling success. The group who weren’t dressed well (i.e. plastic sandals and jogging bottoms) amassed a $680,000 theoretical profit, while those dressed in smart suits enjoyed an average profit of $2.1 million. Those in neutral clothes received an average of $1.5 million in profits.
According to one of the authors of this study, this demonstrates how the participants who weren’t dressed well would often concede to the smartly dressed ones, and the dapper participants recognized this greater sense of respect, which meant they backed down less than they perhaps usually would.
But what are the different ways we can dress to succeed and how does this work? Below, we’ll explore a variety of ways people help their fortunes by dressing in a certain way, before explaining how you can follow suit (quite literally, in some cases!).
Dressing for Job Interviews
We’ve already seen how your choice of outfit can influence the outcome of a job interview, but what should you be wearing to get hired?
This does depend on the type of interview you’re attending, which is why it’s important to do plenty of research in advance. For example, when interviewing for professional companies who follow a smart uniform policy, men should opt for formal business attire that still showcases their personality (e.g. incorporating a statement tie). Women should create a well-dressed, tidy and neat look through smart clothes that, again, inject a bit of character into their style (e.g. wearing a brightly-colored dress complete with a fitted blazer). However, you might look for success from a different source, 34% of people who own a good luck charm, wear it in a job interview.
So, it’s not just about your getup, as many also swear by lucky charms that help them get through adversities or bring them added fortune when they need it most.
Celebrities and Their Lucky Charms
There are a number of celebrities who count on lucky charms, presumably, they do it with the aim of boosting their careers or to get them out of sticky situations. For example, Colin Farrell swears by the leather belt his father gave him, even going as far as offering a £16,000 reward to anyone who found it after it went missing. He’s also said to wear a lucky pair of boxer shorts when he starts filming something new – they’re covered in shamrocks and it says ‘The luck of the Irish’ on the waistband, of course!
Actor Benicio Del Toro has also confessed to having a lucky talisman – a ring with a central wooden section so he always has somewhere he can ‘touch wood’ when he needs to. And Cameron Diaz is often seen wearing a lucky necklace gifted to her by her friend. Why? Because she believes it’ll help ward off old age.
Can lucky charms help you to win money?
Photo by Paf – games sport casino 
Another group of people that are renowned for searching for luck in unusual places is poker players, but these guys make sure they’re dressed for success, too. Not only do they reach for the lucky items in their wardrobes, e.g. socks, shoes, pants, jewellery or shirts, but they also make sure their outfit oozes confidence and enhances that all-important ‘poker face’.
Poker players are often seen relying on their lucky wardrobe, which include hats, baseball caps, mustaches and beards – all of which help them hide their true emotions so they don’t give too much away when they’re playing in a tournament. Another hugely popular accessory, which, if they win, also becomes a good luck charm, is a pair of sunglasses. As most believe your eyes can give the game away, sunglasses help stop opponents from reading a poker player’s mind while they’re playing. Renowned poker player Greg ‘Fossilman’ Raymer is just one of the players who wears sunglasses.
However, this get-up doesn’t just help them hide their feelings from other players but also adds to the overall impression they give off, creating a powerful, confident first impression to someone who’s coming up against them for the first time.
Conclusion
Many of us will have some lucky charm or other, whether we turn to it when we’re wanting our favorite football team to win a game or we’re hoping for a bit of good fortune when we’re trying to get something we want. However, all of us can influence our chances of success through what we wear, choosing outfits that we don’t just feel comfortable in but that give off a confident, assured look that impresses those around us.
To conclude, then, it does appear that being dressed for success can have an impact on how successful you are in all aspects of life, from getting a job to winning at the poker table. And when you double this up with your lucky charm, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your next success! Good luck!
Read more career and lifestyle articles at Cliché Magazine
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