9 Reasons Dressing Down Is Overrated

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Recently, my wife showed me a post about 10 things why dressing up is overrated and if you’re a regular follower of the Gentleman’s Gazette, you probably know that I would not agree with that statement.

That being said, I do dress down on occasion which means I dress less formally than I usually do. The basic arguments in that article were that one, it costs money and two, it wastes time, and three, that it panders to what other people think of you rather than what you think of yourself.

I think there is real value in not caring what other people think of you because oftentimes, it can just cloud your judgment and you just live for other people rather than yourself. There is a limited usefulness to that attitude. Men’s Wearhouse had a survey and almost 3 out of 4 men felt that they are underdressed all the time. If you’re in that state of mind when you’re not dressed up to par, you simply lack a certain element of confidence. Being confident is a very important factor in how you’re perceived, how people think of you, and ultimately, where you end up in life.

The truth is we live in a society, we don’t live in a vacuum just for ourselves, and the way you dress and the way you appear to others has a huge impact whether you want it or not. The truth is also that it does cost some money to dress up. Even if you do have to spend a little more, it really pays to look at it more of an investment rather than an expense.

Why are we paying money for clothes to be considered an investment? Well, if you get a classic wardrobe that you can wear for many years to come, the cost per wear is very little. At the same time, when people see you, they think of you more highly, they respect you more, and they deem you more competent, it will have a direct impact on your paycheck.

Nine Reasons Why Being Underdressed Is Overrated

Mark Zuckerberg in a t-shirt
Mark Zuckerberg in a t-shirt [Image Credit: Business Insider]

1. People Won’t Take You Seriously

As a consequence, you won’t take yourself as seriously and you will think that you can’t achieve certain things even though you could do them. No matter the situation, dressing well gives you an air of authority and it usually means dressing up. Yale conducted an interesting study of mock real estate negotiations; they had men dressed up, dressed neutral, and dressed down. The men who dressed down felt at a disadvantage from the get-go and ultimately, they lost more money and deferred more money to the people who were better dressed.

Interestingly, the well-dressed men sensed this insecurity and they were less likely to budge, they maintained their position, and they walked away with a much better position than the people who were dressed down or dressed neutrally. Interestingly, the professor of that study noted that animals respond to signals of dominance and for humans, it certainly is the business suit.

Mark Zuckerberg in a suit
Mark Zuckerberg in a suit [Image Credit: The New York Times]

You may argue that some of the richest men in the world are extremely dressed down such as Mark Zuckerberg. At the same time, when Mark Zuckerberg appears or when an article is written about him, oftentimes, people refer to the fact that he’s dressed down a lot so it almost taints his accomplishment in a certain way. Even if that’s not the case, it’s a distraction, at the least. At the last congressional hearing, he showed up in a suit, people noticed and it was a signal that said “I’m taking this very seriously”, so by dressing up, you can purvey this kind of message that you respect others and in turn, they will respect you more.

People take your seriously when you dress up
By dressing up, you are showing respect to the other person you are talking to. [Image Credit: AS International Group]

2. People Who Dress Up Make More Money Over The Course Of Their Career

Think about it, if your boss doesn’t take you seriously and if he doesn’t respect your work, why would he promote you? Even if you don’t believe the studies and think that it the workplace has changed, 75% of men think that their well-dressed counterparts are more successful in their jobs.

Daniel Craig as James Bond in a mid-gray suit with mid-blue tie.
Daniel Craig as James Bond in a mid-gray suit with mid-blue tie. [Image Credit: Pinterest]

3. You Look Less Attractive

You can’t change your physical features aside from working out and even if you work out, the fact remains that if you wear a suit or if you dress up, if you dress well, you will always look better than the equivalent person in a t-shirt and sweatpants. So yes, it’s true! Most people would probably argue that Daniel Craig in a t-shirt looks better than I do in a suit and they’re quite right.

Daniel Craig wearing a black t-shirt and jeans
Daniel Craig wearing a black t-shirt and jeans [Image Credit: Pinterest]

At the same time, I’m arguing that Daniel Craig in a suit would look even better than Daniel Craig in a t-shirt. Also, the good thing is you can take action and change your clothes and will likely be a lot quicker than changing your bodily physique. If that is not enough for you, 78% of the women in a survey said that they prefer men who dress well.

4. Dressing Down Will Keep You From Doing Things

When you wear sweatpants and a t-shirt, you don’t feel it’s appropriate to go out on the street so you just stay in, hang out on the couch, order pizza and watch Netflix. In my opinion, your clothes should not hold you back, they should help you move forward. Honestly, these days, all it takes is a pair of chinos, a dress shirt, nice leather shoes, and you’re probably prepared for most of the situations out there. If you want to put on a sport coat or a blazer, you are better dressed than 90% of the men you’ll encounter.

Alex Pettyfer in gray sweatpants and shirt
Alex Pettyfer in gray sweatpants and shirt [Image Credit: Just Jared]

5. Dressing Down Makes You Look Lazy

Yes, it’s easy and cheap to buy a pair of t-shirt and sweatpants, at the same time, that’s exactly the message you communicate “I’m cheap and lazy”.

Tom Ford smiling, looking good in a charcoal grey jacket paired with a silver knitted tie with silver collar clip
Tom Ford smiling, looking good in a charcoal grey jacket paired with a silver knitted tie with silver collar clip

6. What You Wear Is Not Just About You

Tom Ford once said that dressing well is a form of good manners and if you think about it, it’s a form of showing respect to others, it’s a form that you show respect for the event you’re at, and in turn, you will earn more respect from others for that. Just the other day, I read a comment from one of our YouTube viewers and he said that he was never as embarrassed before as when he had a business event with a co-worker and the co-worker showed up in a sports Jersey that was way too tight with a deep cut out and he just felt so embarrassed.

That probably had an impact on how he approached this meeting and I’m certain he could have achieved more if his colleague would have dressed up more. So whenever there is a dress code and you disregard it and dress down, it’s a sign of disrespect and not having those particular clothes is not a real good excuse because you could even rent a tuxedo or get an inexpensive one and put in a little effort.

Sven Raphael Schneider wearing suits
Sven Raphael Schneider wearing suits

7. Dressing Well Makes You Feel Confident & Powerful

In turn, that leads to you doing things that you otherwise might not have done if you were dressed down. It could be things like asking your boss for that raise or asking out that woman that you have a crush on. Putting on a nice suit has an effect on your posture, the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you look, and the way you interact, and who wouldn’t want to feel more confident and powerful?

8. Dressing Down Costs More In The Long Run

Yes, t-shirts are inexpensive and so are sweatpants, at the same time, they’re usually made of low-quality materials and so they wear out a lot more. That means you have to invest more time to go to the mall or to shop online and if you value your time, as well as the natural resources, dressing down and dressing cheaply is really not that cheap in the long run. Ultimately, you will just keep spending more and more money and it’s like a slot machine in Vegas. At the same time, you always look crappy. On the flipside, if you invest in a nice pair of shoes and you can resole it and wear it for 15 or 20 years down the line, you probably spend less if you consider the cost per wear of your shoes.

Dressing up prepares you for any activity of day or people you might meet
You’ll never know who you will stumble into especially when at work [Image Credit: Telegraph]

9. You Never Know Who You’re Going To Meet

A couple of years ago, I was on an airplane flight and when I travel, I always try to dress well, that means I wear a jacket, I wear some chinos, some leather shoes, I wear a bow tie or regular tie, and that really makes me better dressed than 99.9% of people who fly.

So it turned out, I was sitting next to a US bank executive, we were talking and I was telling him that I had a business and that was banking with US bank and recently, I’d applied for a credit line and they thought they could only give me $30,000. Two days later, I received an email from him and I had a credit line for $100,000 and my banker called me up and was like “Wow how did you do that?”, and all it took was being well dressed, sitting to the right person at the right time who looked at me and respected me and thought highly of me and believed that I was worth a credit line of $100,000.

Now, that’s not something you can plan for but ultimately, if you’re dressed up regularly, chances of you encountering situations where it will be to your advantage or much higher than if you just show up in sweatpants and a hoodie.

A hoodie does not make you look professional
A hoodie does not make you look professional [Image Credit: Ubuy]

CONCLUSION

So in summary, dressing down makes you feel less confident, makes you feel less powerful, and it will earn you less money over the course of your career. It also doesn’t make you look intelligent or successful and as a consequence, people respect you less and think of you less highly. Yes it is true, dressing down may cost you less but compared to the earning potential of dressing up and the cost per wear, it actually may hurt your wallet.

Outfit Rundown

I’m wearing a casual suit which is an oxymoron for most people however it’s a flannel suit. It’s not a business suit, it has a small houndstooth pattern and I combined it with a contrasting purplish red vest with gold buttons. It matches well with my green tie which has stripes that are made of shantung silk which picks up the colors and ties it all together. My pocket square is red and matches the waistcoat and it’s not too ostentatious. My socks are shadow-striped brown and green and pick up the tones of my tie as well as the suit and my shoes. They also provide a little bit of contrast between the pants and my medium brown Derby and overall it’s a combination that I would wear when our people would probably wear a sports coat and chinos.

Sven Raphael in his casual flannel suit.
Sven Raphael in his casual flannel suit.
Shantung Striped Green, Purple and Cream Silk Tie

Fort Belvedere

Shantung Striped Green, Purple and Cream Silk Tie

A photograph of a Wine Red, Yellow,Blue, Green, Orange Silk Wool Medallion Pocket Square

Fort Belvedere

Wine Red, Yellow,Blue, Green, Orange Silk Wool Medallion Pocket Square

Monkey Fist Knot Cufflinks - Vermeil Sterling Silver Yellow Gold Plated

Fort Belvedere

Monkey Fist Knot Cufflinks – Vermeil Sterling Silver Yellow Gold Plated

Having an extra edge always helped me to stand out and people often approach me that I otherwise wouldn’t approach most of the time. Good things come of it. My shirt is an off-white dress shirt with double cuffs and I have some Monkey Fist cufflinks in gold which are warm and go well with the warm color tones in the rest of my outfit. My ring matches my cufflinks and has a nice star sapphire stone which looks really cool when you have a light source come on to it.

Reader Comments

  1. I agree under most circumstances, Dress for Success, but I was told that as a Mediator, going to court, don’t dress like a lawyer, dress like “Jake from State Farm”. Not sloppy or casual, but leave my 3 piece suits in the closet. Lawyers depend in part on their suits, and briefcases. If I bought a $2,000 suit from Manhattan, I’d better find some where in midtown to wear it- or a funeral/wedding, because up here, 75 miles north, I would stand out like a sore thumb. Know the culture and dress appropriately.

    1. Standing out is not always a bad thing. And personally I don’t let others dictate how I dress.

  2. There’s a time and a place for doing both. I dress for the occasion most of the time i always dress professional for work and work events. Even to go out to eat at a nice dine in restaurant I wear nice slacks and a collar shirt or even a sports jacket. Quick shopping trips usually not, its jeans and a t-shirt casual comfortable time. Being overdressed is a personal choice and in my opinion doing so all of the time is just overkill. If being overdressed was the norm shops wouldn’t sell casual clothes.

  3. Terrific videos. Snappy intro theme, good oration. Thank you
    37 years ago I found a book by John T. Malloy – “Dress For Success.” It saved my career. Home office in NYC, my office in SoCal. two distinct styles with some business in the San Jaquan Valley and THAT was neither.
    Question: do you have a video how to have a suit tailored?

  4. …and one reason it is O.K. to dress down.
    I’m busy. I do not have time to dress for every occasion.
    Besides, not every occasion calls for dress-up.

    The article your wife brought to your attention says one thing to me. If you dress up, she feels obligated to dress up as well, and she may no feel up to the effort, or think the occasion calls for it.

  5. Dressing up often means you are less subject to a dressing down. Humans are pattern seeking beings, and you have to ask yourself, what patterns do you want to broadcast to others? Authority figure or hobo? High status individual or the guy who just back from the methadone clinic? In my Perry Mason days, I kept more than one client out of a jail sentence because they appeared at their sentencing in a suit and tie. Hear that hath ears let him hear. Bravo on the post, Sven!

    1. “I kept more than one client out of a jail sentence because they appeared at their sentencing in a suit and tie.”

      Excellent advice. If all clients realized the importance of this statement they would fare far better in court, and in life.

  6. In addition, one man’s idea of dressing down could be another man’s idea of dressing up.

    In my previous comments’ last sentence, please change the ‘no’, preceded by the word ‘may’, to ‘not’.
    Thank you.

  7. Those points even apply to computer science! From a talk of famous computer scientists Dr Richard Hamming (http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~robins/YouAndYourResearch.html ):

    “… Another personality defect is ego assertion and I’ll speak in this case of my own experience. I came from Los Alamos and in the early days I was using a machine in New York at 590 Madison Avenue where we merely rented time. I was still dressing in western clothes, big slash pockets, a bolo and all those things. I vaguely noticed that I was not getting as good service as other people. So I set out to measure. You came in and you waited for your turn; I felt I was not getting a fair deal. I said to myself, “Why? No Vice President at IBM said, `Give Hamming a bad time’. It is the secretaries at the bottom who are doing this. When a slot appears, they’ll rush to find someone to slip in, but they go out and find somebody else. Now, why? I haven’t mistreated them.” Answer, I wasn’t dressing the way they felt somebody in that situation should. It came down to just that – I wasn’t dressing properly. I had to make the decision – was I going to assert my ego and dress the way I wanted to and have it steadily drain my effort from my professional life, or was I going to appear to conform better? I decided I would make an effort to appear to conform properly. The moment I did, I got much better service.

    John Tukey almost always dressed very casually. He would go into an important office and it would take a long time before the other fellow realized that this is a first-class man and he had better listen. For a long time John has had to overcome this kind of hostility. It’s wasted effort! I didn’t say you should conform; I said “The appearance of conforming gets you a long way.” If you chose to assert your ego in any number of ways, “I am going to do it my way,” you pay a small steady price throughout the whole of your professional career. And this, over a whole lifetime, adds up to an enormous amount of needless trouble. “

  8. Nice article. It should be noted that many men ridiculously spend large sums of money to dress down. For instance those hideous designer ripped up jeans can be quite pricey. Some tasteless fools go in for what consider the worst look at all and by wretched “Untuckit” shirts. Making them appear like imbeciles who shrunk their shirts are are no longer able to tuck them in. The clueless spend good money on such drek.
    I find that as I mature it is even more important to look well dressed. Perhaps a tie is not always necessary but a sport jacket, nice trousers and shoes are a must weather permitting. Nothing looks more preposterous than a middle aged or older fellow dressed in a hoodie and jeans like a toddler on a playground.

  9. I said in a previous comment that the MAN makes the cloths. Not the other way around and it is still true today. A gentleman will wear the proper attire for any event he is attending, because he knows what looks good on him and has the confindence too. and that is what makes him stand out and to be noticed.

  10. An excellent analysis and I totally agree with all your points. One could add that tailoring your dress style to your looks and how you want to be perceived allows you to be really “you”. Its part of your communication of your persona to the World.
    Definitely, a gentleman thinks along the lines you have described.

  11. What has shifted in our marketing driven society is that it’s OK to dress casual for ANY social or business event. I like to dress casual too, when it’s appropriate. But, there really is an awful trend of dressed down gents and ladies as well, who are seen at business meetings, in excellent high end restaurants, at the theater, dinner parties and definitely on the holidays! My wife and I belong to a private club where we always bring in the New Year. A lot of the dress on NYE is almost comical, as if Halloween has never ended. A few of us old school chaps dress up and feel dapper, but unfortunately it’s turned into a very small group. Here’s a thought; to change the fashion attitude in the mass market would be to get some famous publicly admired individuals (actors, musicians, athletes) to set a trend towards a more dressed up formal fashion when there’re seen going to business negotiations or out on the town (the paparazzi would have a field day). Society appears to blindly copy what ever they see as popular in the moment and that just might set us on a path away from ‘casual is ok for any event’ mindset… ya, I‘m not holding my breath for any change in fashion etiquette soon either. lol
    Btw, excellent article!

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