Everyone knows the expression: “You are greeted by your clothes and seen off by your mind!” Of course, any person makes his first opinion about a new acquaintance by his appearance. First of all, a passerby notices in the people around him what is visible to the naked eye: a person’s attitude towards himself (how a person looks after himself and his appearance), the level of his culture (how a person behaves in relation to people and objects around him), even his mood a person passing by.
People evaluate this almost instantly, at the subconscious level. But how important is this assessment? Everyone knows that the first impression of a person greatly influences the development of relationships between these people in the future. The first impression can only be made once, which is why we try so hard to look good at parties, corporate events and other places where we can meet strangers. Mostly women try to look good, although this is not a rule, but rather a trend. It's just that women show this somewhat opening. After all, ladies have always been muses, and men have been breadwinners and hunters. So at what age is appearance most important and what is the importance of appearance in our time?
Let's start with children aged three to six years. This is the most innocent and cloudless period in life. At this time, there are absolutely no problems or worries, you get everything you want from life. The child does not think about public opinion towards himself. He chooses his idols not by appearance, but by the direct attitude of this or that person to himself. If you evaluate the importance of appearance for a child of this age on a ten-point scale, he will receive a score of 1 point.
Next comes a period from seven to thirteen years. At this time, the child goes to school for the first time. This period marks the beginning of a more or less adult and independent life. Now he has his first friends and peers of both sexes, the importance of appearance for him becomes meaningful. For the first time, he begins to think about himself as an independent person. Appearance begins to worry him more, since he is in society and is obliged to look the part. But now this is mainly due to the influence of parents on the child. They try to instill in their child neatness, cleanliness, and a love of order. Score 4 points.
Then there is a long period of life of 14-25 years. This period includes adolescence and young adulthood. This is probably the most difficult period of human life, although it is also the most vivid, memorable, and unexpected. During this period, a person forms an opinion about himself, he evaluates the people around him, creates his own life principles or abandons them altogether, there is a revaluation of values, in general, global changes occur in a person as an individual. During this period, appearance is extremely important. A teenager devotes a lot of time and effort to his appearance; he tries to look perfect. This desire is quite natural, because now he is beginning to be interested in the opposite sex. By the end of this period, as a rule, a person is already a formed and independent personality, but attention to appearance does not decrease. And this attention is quite conscious, a person shows it on his own, he wants to look good for HIMSELF. Nowadays, teenagers are very cruel, and therefore special attention is paid to appearance. Score 9 points.
The next period is 26-45 years. At this time, a person becomes completely independent and independent. As a rule, marriages and the birth of children occur at this stage. Both men and women are less fixated on their appearance and prefer the inner world of a person to it. Also, attention to appearance decreases due to the fact that a person understands that he should not pretend to be anyone and begins to be himself, since a career and family have already been created. Towards the end of this stage, short-term strong attention to one’s appearance reappears (midlife crisis), but it quickly ends. Score 4-5 points.
And the last period from 45 years to the end of life. Attention to appearance is minimal, since most people have a large family, a successful career, and they again begin to live only for themselves. They stop attracting attention to themselves by any means, since they have already earned enough respect. Score 2 points.
Thus, the greatest importance of appearance in our time for adolescents and young people is due to this attention to hormonal changes in the body, as well as the period of personality formation.
Young children are least concerned about appearance due to lack of communication experience. And also older people are not fixated on it.
Any individual, according to which one can judge him, his hobbies and standard of living. One person can characterize another just by looking at him, so people do not even suspect what others think about them.
But it is worth noting that judging a person by appearance is wrong; perhaps, due to certain circumstances, he is forced to look like that. After all, life is a complex thing, and there are different situations in it.
Etiquette in the culture of appearance
The first thing people notice when meeting a person is what he is wearing. Clothes make up 90% of the entire appearance, which is why its choice should be given due attention. That’s why the proverb about people being greeted by their clothes is relevant.
Appearance can tell about a person’s inner world and his moral points of view. Clothes speak about a person's tastes and preferences.
If a person is dressed to the nines, then we can talk about his refined taste and status. When choosing an outfit, its color plays a big role. According to psychologists, clothes should be selected according to the place, nature and time of a particular event.
What is called appearance?
Appearance is a concept that is important for every modern person. The present and future of the individual depend on it. For example, in order to meet a guy, a girl must have a beautiful appearance that will attract attention to her person. But not only does a person’s appearance play a role in his personal life, it also affects his career. You should choose a formal style for your interview if you want it to go well and get hired.
But it’s not just clothes that can make a first impression. To impress a person, you need to choose a good outfit and show your best emotions and qualities. The most important thing is not to seem like a fool, and it is better to follow the example of business women who have achieved success in their lives.
Each of the girls is unique, and in order to please a guy, you need to show your exclusivity. It is necessary to demonstrate your talents, if you have them. To create an attractive appearance, it is recommended to use cosmetics, wear beautiful clothes, show your intelligence and look at the world correctly.
Business man
Appearance can indicate a person's status. If we are talking about a business person, then companions and employees can determine his professional status, income level, reliability and success by his suit.
If a person comes to a meeting in an expensive outfit, he should be combed and smell good. First, anyone is judged by the way he is dressed, and only then are his other qualities noticed.
But in order to appear to your partner as a worthy person, you should not show off your wealth in front of him; you need to behave as usual, without showing how you prepared and dressed up for this reception. Also, you should not wear jewelry to a meeting with a business partner, this way you can show that you are not serious.
Appearance tells about a person’s profession and hobbies
Each individual is a psychologist in his soul, and, seeing a stranger in front of him, he begins to mentally imagine what he does in life, how he lives and what he is interested in. There are people who betray their lives with their entire appearance. For example, it is very easy to spot a teacher or cultural worker among a crowd. As practice shows, most people choose clothes for themselves according to what they are interested in and do.
The profession leaves a significant imprint on a person’s appearance. After all, if people work in an office, then most likely they will be wearing a formal suit.
If we are talking about creative individuals, then they are more likely than other people to use extraordinary clothes and seemingly incompatible styles in their wardrobe. In order to look unusual, it is enough to complement your look with accessories.
People who belong to popular trends - goth or emo - stand out from the crowd immediately, since they have their own wardrobe. The Goths are all black, emphasizing their isolation and solitude.
Addition to the appearance
Natural beauty complements the appearance, for example, expressive eyes or beautiful posture, which speak volumes. In addition, gestures and facial features can convey much more about a person than his clothing.
If we are talking about open people, then they are almost always on the move; they can rarely be seen sitting on a chair with their legs or arms crossed. They are open not only with their souls, but with their whole body.
If we are talking about a reserved person, then he dresses strictly, practically does not use makeup, and shyness can be seen in his manner of communication and gait.
At a subconscious level, an individual is able to feel the energy of another person. If she is warm, then everyone can understand this; all people want to communicate with such a person, they admire and respect her.
A person's clothing and appearance are assessed only upon initial acquaintance. After all, very often appearances are deceiving, and a person begins to open up some time after meeting.
Accessories
If we are talking about a business person, then he must wear accessories and jewelry. The description of appearance is based primarily on clothing and accessories.
If a woman takes a handbag with her to meetings, then the latter must be made of genuine leather. All items where documents are stored must be made of the best materials.
An indispensable attribute of any business person is a watch, which indicates that the individual values time. You should give preference only to expensive models to emphasize your status.
You shouldn’t get too carried away with jewelry; it’s better to wear an inconspicuous bracelet and a ring on your ring finger. If you want to show off your arsenal of jewelry, then you should wear them only for evenings or holidays.
Men should wear cufflinks to meetings, preferably made of gold or silver. Typically, cufflinks should be paired with a tie clip and can be decorated with small stones.
Also, any business person should have a fountain pen and a notepad for notes.
Requirements for a person's image
When it comes to entrepreneurial activity and working in a serious company, there are special requirements for the appearance of employees. If a person adheres to a businesslike appearance, then this can be called the first step on the path to success and career.
The following requirements for the appearance of a person working in a prestigious company can be presented:
- Compatibility of materials texture.
- Unity of style.
- Matching the style and the situation the employee faces (office work, negotiations, business trip, personal meeting).
- When choosing an outfit, you need to adhere to the three-color rule.
- Combine quality clothing and shoes with accessories. For example, a document folder should resemble a person’s shoes in texture.
- Ability to match colors when choosing a costume.
- Compatibility of drawings.
In addition to a neat suit, a person must have accessories that will highlight his individuality and business style.
How to behave at a reception
Remember: the success of a person’s business directly depends on a person’s appearance and how he behaves during negotiations. It is necessary to sit straight and open, without covering yourself with your hands - this indicates the openness of the person. If a man crosses his legs, he must ensure that his trousers do not rise above his toes. In this case, you should not hug your knees with your hands, and it is also not recommended to swing your leg. Remember that you are at a business meeting. It is best to sit in the middle of your armchair, sofa or chair.
When a woman sits on a chair, she can cross her legs, but this is not allowed if she sits on an armchair or sofa.
If you suddenly feel like coughing at a meeting, you need to turn your head to the side and do this by covering your mouth with your hand. When you are sick and need to go to an appointment, do not forget to take a handkerchief. If you want to sneeze, you need to try to do it quietly.
Also, for any businessman, it is important how he will look - his suit and the perfume that he will use are important.
The article examined what a business person looks like and how he should behave. If you have never met such people and you don’t have a picture of their appearance in your head, then you can find information about what their appearance should be. Photos of any successful person will help you with this.
Below are some tips on how to behave at business meetings. First of all, you need to remember that there are no trifles in this matter.
It is not necessary to buy an expensive suit; the most important thing is that the outfit is in good condition, fits properly, is clean and ironed. A businessman's shoes must be cleaned.
If we are talking about a woman's image, then her clothes should be complemented by accessories, hairstyle and makeup. The most important thing is to emphasize individuality.
Have you noticed that good-looking people are more likely to get lucrative and lucrative jobs? Naturally, appearance plays a big role in a person’s life. But is it true that it is enough to be born beautiful (or beautiful) - and life is a success? Today the topic of our material will be the influence of appearance on employment and career success.
Scientific data on the role of appearance in human life
This year, American scientists studied the influence of a graduate’s beauty on employment.
Lisa Slattery Walker, University of North Carolina:
“Beautiful people have an advantage all their lives - from school to the workplace.”
A study conducted by psychologists Walker and Frevert found that MBA graduates receive different salaries depending on their physical attractiveness. The least beautiful students received offers on average 10-15% lower than their more beautiful colleagues. If you extrapolate this difference over your entire expected career, it reaches over 200 thousand dollars!
Beauty is a terrible force
At the same time, an important feature is noted: the professional qualities of beautiful women are called into question, so an overly bright appearance can play a cruel joke on an ambitious girl.
Interesting fact : They don’t hire really beautiful girls. The colors and style of the uniform are also chosen to be repulsive, not too bright or baggy. Traffic is important to poppies, and visitors flirting with cashiers reduce it.
An interesting experiment was recently conducted by The Village magazine. Its essence was to create several fake resumes with photographs of different people and approximately the same skills. The jobs chosen were in sales, where appearance was expected to play an important role.
The results showed that in general it is easier for girls to get a job. There is no significant discrimination against overweight ladies, but no one is interested in older candidates at all. A more extravagant resume photo gets more views, but doesn't get more invitations. In general, the experiment revealed that a business photo for a resume is better suited, and attractive women will receive more job offers (in sales, at least).
So from science we have a clear signal - beauty helps you build a career!
Opinions of staff and personnel officers
Pavel, sales manager at a car dealership:
“I don’t consider myself super handsome in any way. I have an average appearance, but I have never had problems finding a good job. I found it myself, without cronyism. I worked as a student organizing banquets for a long time. I came according to an advertisement and found myself straight away in a good hotel. Then we had a conference, and the top manager of Baltschug-Kempinski drew attention to my work at the banquet. Appearance did not play a role in this; he asked who was working, called me and offered to go to them.
So I was already at university, studying full-time, and earning good money. But you can’t get into top hotels as a waiter - neither with good looks, nor with extensive experience, no way - just for the money. There, people receive a tip of $5,000 and forget to withdraw their salary from the card for months. You can only buy a place if you have friends.
After graduation I wanted to work in my specialty. I followed the automotive profile to the Audi dealership. They hired me because of my experience working with VIP clients. You need to dress normally and work well, I think, and you will be noticed.”
Pavel, deputy director of the construction contractor:
“At our construction site, everything is simple: if you want to work, you’re welcome. If you don’t want to work, if you want to whine, well, get paid as much as you have earned, and no one will keep you on your way out. I don’t care who to hire - Russians, Chechens, Muslims, atheists, whites, yellows - as long as the person wants to work, doesn’t spoil the material and doesn’t interfere with others. What an appearance, why look at her, we’re not playing with toys here in the office!”
Alisa, former recruiting manager:
“I haven’t been here for long, but I can explain what you look like from the employer’s point of view. First, of course, professional skills are important. No one looks at the photo on a resume until they read the “work experience” column. The photo itself does not affect the invitation. You will still be invited if you fit the vacancy and are looking for work.
But if some idiot in rumpled dusty clothes, a sweaty stinker or a dirty guy with bitten nails shows up for an interview, then he will be turned away. Also, stutterers and mumblers immediately “go through the woods.” In principle, employers do not look at appearance. But, on the other hand, they may have their own problems. The candidate is suitable, but he didn’t like him - that’s all. And no one will tell you why you didn’t like it. Maybe because of personal prejudices on some basis, or your behavior during the interview aroused antipathy from the first seconds.
The advice I can give to candidates is: just be clean and tidy, communicate well, and you will get the job, no matter what you look like (sooner or later).”
I wanted to talk about something How does a person’s appearance affect success in life?. Therefore, today there will be a slightly abstract article, written on the basis of observations and reflections on this issue. Recently I had a dispute on this topic, and in a dispute, as you know, truth is born, so I will try to present various arguments and facts in the article.
So, according to my observations, in most cases, outwardly attractive people have an easier time in life, in work, in business or in some other matters. Why? There are several reasons.
Firstly, the path to success is almost always impossible to travel alone: you have to constantly be in contact with a variety of people: colleagues, employers, partners, businessmen, officials, etc. And with all this communication, especially when meeting for the first time, attractive appearance, of course, plays a positive role, because everyone knows that a person is “met by his clothes.”
Imagine, two people with approximately the same skills, abilities, and experience are applying for the same position. One of them is visually attractive, and the second, let’s say, not so much. Who will the employer give preference to? Most likely - the first. Firstly, because it will be more pleasant for him to contact him at work, and secondly, because clients will perceive him better. That is, for personnel working with clients, and especially for sales managers, appearance generally plays a big role.
An outwardly attractive person has the greatest chance for successful negotiations in any situation when he conducts these negotiations with a representative of the opposite sex. It’s just that on a subconscious level it will be easier for a woman to win over an attractive man, and for a man to win over an attractive woman, wouldn’t you agree?
Secondly, all this already makes a person more confident in himself, and this confidence is also a great advantage for achieving success. An outwardly unattractive person, as a rule, has more various complexes that prevent him from feeling confident and holding up properly in negotiations. Such uncertainty is psychologically transferred to the other side, and therefore negotiations have little chance of being successful.
But, as with any rule, you can find your exceptions. Well, for example... If an outwardly attractive girl comes to negotiate with another girl who will, let’s say, be inferior to her in appearance. In this case, a competitive effect may arise and negotiations will not be successful. For example, a boss at work wants to feel like “the best” in the team, and therefore will not accept employees who are superior to her in appearance. Could this be? Quite. In this example, attractive appearance, on the contrary, will play a negative role, that is, this is also possible.
Facts that have already become history will help us find more “loud” exceptions to the rule. In the list according to the Forbes rating you can find far from handsome people. Let's take, for example, Bill Gates, the richest man of our time: apparently, he never bothered with his appearance, dressed quite simply and even tastelessly, and was unkempt. His youthful image fits the current idea of “nerdy nerds.” However, we all see the results of his success, and even benefit from them.
Mark Zuckerberg... About the same story, only more modern. Not particularly remarkable appearance, simple clothes, and also an unremarkable lifestyle. We also see and use the results of success. And you can find many such examples.
What is noteworthy is that judging by these examples, most often people who are not particularly distinguished by their external appearance achieve success in the Internet sphere, and there is a completely logical explanation for this. In virtual communications, which helped these people achieve success, appearance no longer plays such a significant role as in real offline communication. Here other qualities come to the fore: the ability to construct phrases competently and beautifully, to win over your interlocutor virtually.
There is one more important point that is worth mentioning. Attractive appearance is a rather subjective concept. There are types that will seem attractive to some people, but not to others, therefore, this can also have an impact on success in negotiations.
On the Internet, and in life, I come across a lot of discussions about how appearance affects a person’s happiness in his personal life, and here you can also find polar points of view; the well-known saying “don’t be born beautiful, but be born happy” alone is worth it. I also have something to say about this, but I decided not to do so, because I clearly separate the concepts of “success” and “happiness in my personal life.” Here, you can read here: - this is not at all the same as personal happiness. There are, of course, the concepts of “being successful with women” or “being successful with men,” but let’s leave their discussion for men’s and women’s sites, and here we will talk about success in achieving life goals.
Thus, analyzing both well-known facts and personal observations, I can conclude that appearance affects a person’s success in life and work in most cases. But there are also exceptions to this rule. Appearance plays an important role on a person’s path to success, but not necessarily a critical one. A person with an unattractive appearance is also capable of achieving success, but it will usually be a little more difficult for him. On the other hand, it’s more interesting, because I think many will be pleased to realize that they achieved the desired results thanks not to external, but to internal qualities.
However, I recommend everyone not to “neglect” their appearance, to take care of it, but of course, without fanaticism. To look neat, clean, well-groomed, and dignified not only during important meetings and negotiations, but also in everyday life, because this is how a person psychologically gets used to his appearance, and this also leaves its mark on his success. I think it's not that difficult if you want.
This is my opinion about how a person’s appearance affects success in life and business. If you have something to add or argue with, I’ll be happy to listen to you in the comments.
As always, I wish you success in everything! See you again at !
The human image that is created upon acquaintance acts as a regulator of subsequent attitudes towards him. Therefore, significant attention is paid to image, building an external appearance according to the necessary criteria. Conscious presentation of signs of one’s image (clothing, gestures, facial expressions, demeanor, etc.), controlling a person’s attention to create the desired whole image is called self-presentation. Correct self-presentation in a situation should reflect an understanding of one’s place in a specific type of communication with specific people.
A person’s perception is structured in such a way that, from the entire set of signs available to his perception, to build an image of an interlocutor, he subjectively selects those that seem most relevant for a given situation. First of all, these are signs that will promote and hinder communication. When constructing an image of an interlocutor, the main characteristics include: appearance, facial expressions, posture, and temperament.
In appearance, the first thing that is assessed is the overall size of a person, that is, his height and volume. It is known that the shorter a person is, the less importance and status the people around him give him, especially if they do not have prior information. It is this circumstance that gives rise, that is, to the desire of people of short stature to compensate in significant achievements. However, a person’s height is not an informative sign in communication, since it has no direct connection with status.
A more reliable sign is clothing. It evaluates: cost, silhouette and color. It is believed that the higher the price, the more fashionable the silhouette and the more color matching it is, the more formal it looks and the more status is attributed to its owner. Cheap, shapeless in silhouette, bright, colorful clothes are associated with a lack of taste.
Facial expressions assess the degree of friendliness and openness in facial expression, which psychologically increases the distance between those communicating and makes contact difficult. A welcoming smile is psychologically perceived as a decrease in status and rapprochement, and makes it easier to make contact. Tension and clenched hands indicate fear, lack of self-confidence of the interlocutor, and the need for psychological protection.
This is usually characteristic of people with low self-esteem. Excessive limbs are perceived by the interlocutor as neglect of contact or frivolity and can psychologically work to either increase or decrease the status of the interlocutor, depending on situations.
Temperament during communication is subjectively perceived through speed, energy of movement and speech. Slow, energetic gestures are psychologically associated in the human mind with high self-esteem, the image of a boss, and small, fussy gestures are associated with low status, the image of a subordinate.
In the emotional state of a person, the adequacy of the expression of his emotions to the content of the business situation is assessed. Inappropriate amusement or irritation can lead to complete misunderstanding. The first impression a person makes when meeting someone is not always the result of an objective reflection of reality. Thus, a consequence of the effect, the external attractiveness of a person, the ability to give compliments creates an overall positive impression of him and leads to an overestimation (and a negative one, accordingly, to an underestimation) of all the qualities of an unknown person.