Importance of Appearance. - A Superficial Conversation
Why is appearance important? Does what you wear matter? The answer is yes and I wrote the title with a dash of irony.
Let us begin this discussion by defining what appearance is in this context. It refers to the outward or visible aspect of a person.
It is the way you look. From your hair, your clothes, and your posture to your nails.
Appearance in this context does not refer to beauty/facial beauty. It is about how you choose to present yourself to the world regardless of the beautiful/ugly systems society has forced upon us.
It may seem superficial to talk about appearance, but it does not have to be that way. Recognizing that looks matter can make a lot of people feel uncomfortable. But, social science research shows that a person’s appearance has a meaningful impact on their life experiences and opportunities.
So, is appearance important? While appearance cannot say everything about someone it is often very indicative. Your appearance is an extension of all aspects of your life.
Let me present to you six reasons why you should care about how you look. And why this conversation is beyond something superficial.
Reason 1. – judgement/ first impressions
How you present yourself matters. Of course, your clothes do not determine your worth/value but people judge you based on your appearance. It is reality. People notice even if it seems like they do not. I bet you do it as well.
Do not forget that you only have one chance to make a first impression and that the first impression always lies in your appearance. And it is lasting.
I recognize that maybe all those initial perceptions can be seen differently after getting to know someone better. Therefore, judging a person by their external appearances may mislead your understanding of them.
On the other hand, external appearance determines whether you decide to approach someone or not in the first place.
You evaluate people you know or strangers before you approach them. Appearance and posture will be assessed consciously or unconsciously.
Your brain understands how crucial this information is to make decisions, in order to make the distinction between what is dangerous or safe, and what is desirable or not.
That said, a clean/pleasant look goes a long way to be positively assessed and approached by your peers.
Reason 2. – self-acceptance
You can find a sense of identity in your clothes. Humans are multifaceted beings that are rarely static. Style is not an exception. You will change your hair, shoes, and clothes many times a year to reflect how you feel.
Fashion is self-expression and when you use it well it’s a great weapon for self-acceptance.
Those who care about their appearance take their time to get to know their body and look. They get to know what they like or dislike. It forces you to bravely face your insecurities and accept them. This is what style is for. You dress for no one but yourself and with only you in mind.
Including how you look, if you can’t accept who you are, you are clueless.
Insecurities you are not aware of or choose to ignore will turn into weapons that will hurt you. Embracing yourself in all aspects, including the physical, is the best path to self-acceptance.
Reason 3. – access to opportunities
I remind you that appearance is essential to achieving the success you are seeking. Appearance is a big factor in getting access to opportunities.
Personal appearance helps you to communicate your ideas because style is communication.
Dressing for success means that your outward appearance sends a message to your audience that you are trustworthy, professional, and presentable. If this wasn’t true you wouldn’t bother to dress up for job interviews or romantic dates. It makes a difference.
It doesn’t mean that you need to use formal clothes on all occasions, what I’m saying is that presenting yourself in a way that reflects your best traits and aligns with the image you want to convey can get you a step closer to where you want to be.
Reason 4. – reveals your mental state
How you present yourself reveals a lot about how you feel about yourself. You communicate how you feel through many forms, and fashion is one of them.
It is very well known that if you feel better you will likely take your time to look better. In my personal experience, my style choices have always reflected my feelings. I can tie the moments my style was the worst with moments of illness and demotivation.
When I felt bad I would look worse. Today, I make a point of dressing in my best outfits when I am not feeling good. Not only increases my confidence for the day but also because no one needs to see through my vulnerabilities.
Mood and clothing are interconnected, according to Carolyn Mair, a behavioural psychologist and the author of “The Psychology of Fashion.”
Many people stop their grooming rituals during moments of emotional hardship, revealing to the world how they truly feel through how they look, regardless of how well they claim to be.
Dressing how you want to feel is a way to embody the state of mind you seek and to shape other people’s perceptions of you in a positive way.
Being deliberate about what you choose to wear for the day is a great way to ensure that you reflect yourself in a positive way, enhancing your self-confidence both in professional and social settings.
Reason 5. – societal expectations
Personal branding exists. People recognize you for your characteristic or traits that make your style recognizable.
This leads people to create expectations on how you should look. You have those expectations as well, think about it. How a fashion blogger you follow is supposed to look or how a celebrity who makes millions is supposed to look.
You already have a fixed image that differentiates them from other people. You are subjected to these expectations as well.
These expectations are also tied with how successful you may be perceived and your personal achievements in life. Someone who is always well dressed will be known for their sense of style, and the opposite is also true.
If someone who is always well dressed suddenly begins wearing bad styling outfits it will bring speculation that something bad happened.
If someone who does not care much about appearance shows up very well dressed people will assume something great has happened. Although not always, this relation between success and appearance is usually true.
Reason 6. – stereotypes
Black women are scrutinized for their appearance from a young age. By not being allowed to explore fashion or different hairstyles.
Not always because people were being mean, but because those who have lived longer know how different you will be perceived based on your appearance. They have also suffered the same or even worse treatment.
Racism, the enforcement of european standards of beauty as the norm and the hyper-sexualization of black bodies, manifest as microaggressions and discrimination forcing black women to be hyper-vigilant regarding appearance in professional and social settings.
Anxiety about what hairstyle to wear for a job interview, and the prohibition of natural hairstyle in company environments, are examples.
If you don’t look a certain way, a standardized way, you can be perceived as unprofessional, ugly, and unfeminine.
Fortunately, a lot of these stereotypes are slowly being broken today. More than ever we see girls proudly wearing their natural hair and exploring styles of fashion that so far seemed out of reach.
But a lot of work and unlearning still needs to be done making it hard for us to present ourselves as we wish on all occasions.
A black woman in the workplace is known to everyone in the office. Her presence is powerful. People stop to stare at her hair, makeup, and outfit. It comes with its pros and cons.
The necessity to look three times better than her non-black counterparts to be perceived at the same standard remains.
As a black woman, appearance is very important because you cannot escape the stereotypes that are made for you.
But showing up as your real, authentic self has a ripple effect that will influence all the other black women around you to be themselves as well.
I can’t lie to you. There is a chance that if you choose to show up as your authentic black self you may not receive a positive response.
But I guarantee you that the place that discriminates against your appearance, is not the place you want to be in the first place.
Bonus – Changing appearance affects your life
Changing your appearance affects your life. How? For example, it can be liberating, by helping you overcome a fear. When I cut my hair short I was so afraid to look too masculine. It was so freeing to know I can also love myself no matter what hairstyle I have.
Another example is changed behaviour. Wearing a red dress can make you feel sexy. You begin acting accordingly eventually.
Confidence boost or decrease is also a form of how appearance affects you. Trying the right clothes can make you feel like a real-life princess. The wrong clothes can make you feel discouraged and unattractive by enhancing the wrong parts of your body.
Are you convinced that appearance is important? It is definitely more than a superficial topic. It affects many areas of your life and it entails so many topics like racism, mental health, and societal expectations.
Improve Your Appearance – Fast, Easy and Free Method
Take control of your style, and your appearance. Stop hiding under your clothes! You can look good and feel confident on any occasion. Simply take the first step and Find Your Body Shape.
I have seen the results of dressing for my body shape. Not only my style but also my confidence improved. I was no longer worried about how others would see me.
Instead, I understood that everyone is different and I could make the best of my features and use them in my favour to feel and look confident.
Take the first step to improve your appearance today. Download my FREE guide
Disclaimer: This article is informational only. All the pictures were created by The Princientist and cannot be used without the creator’s permission.
You Might Be Interested In
Body Shapes for Beginners – Article Series
Understanding what body shapes are can be confusing. In this post, you find the basics of body shapes explained – What are body shapes? Are Body Shapes Important? Can Body Shape Change? What Body Shapes Exist? How To Find Your Body Shape?
Yes, you can be in between body shapes! And it is very common. There are 5 main body shapes – apple, rectangle, hourglass, pear and inverted triangle. Most women will fit into one of these categories, but it is not always the case.
Find The Complete Guides on How To Dress Your Body Shape, with images.
Apply The Fashion Strategies and Level Up Your Style.
