The Rules of Dressing to Impress (by Eada Hudes)

With it only taking approximately seven seconds to make a first impression, first impressions really do count. With that being said, we definitely need to make sure we are making the most out of them. It doesn’t matter whether you need to make a great first impression for a job interview, first date or when you meet clients for the first time, it is a known fact that we all have a habitual tendency to remember first interactions and make instant judgements on the people we meet. Therefore, if it is important for you to make a lasting first impression - and a good one for that matter - we should utilise all the strings in our bow. Because the formation of judgement is so instantaneous, we should consider all aspects of communication to our advantage, verbal and non verbal.

Everything can contribute to the way you are perceived by another person. There’s verbal communication which even includes the tone of your delivery; what you wear and how you carry yourself. These factors can all be used as a subtle cue to communicate what you wish to say to the world around you. Clothing is the most deliberate way to make a personal statement about who you are, as these are the things that you have control of, whereas you can’t always control your physical features.

Clothes are bought for the reason that they fit your outward projection, they add to your own brand identity and help to tell a story about who you are and what you stand for. Therefore, when you want to impress someone, a sure fire way to take control would be to start with your wardrobe choices, as realistically, your clothes cover the majority of your physical appearance.

When I’m shopping for dresses online, I find it useful to ask myself a few questions during my decision making process. The most useful question I find is ‘what do I want to say with this outfit?’ Depending on where and how I’ll wear the clothing, I may want to project different things to different people. On a first date, I may want my style to be more demure than at the office and I want to make sure I’m still dressing to impress but staying classy and still in keeping to my particular moral values.

However, if I were going to an interview, I would probably ask myself ‘do I look capable in this outfit?’ or ‘does this outfit look meticulous enough to get me the job?’ Power dressing has been around for decades and it can really help to install confidence in yourself and for a potential employer to trust in your ability.

In addition to the above, I think it is just as important to make sure that when you are dressing to impress, you still take into account the comfortability. Feeling uncomfortable or self conscious will be displayed in your non-verbal behaviours and expressions, which you would not want to be misinterpreted for lack of confidence in your own ability.

Another thing to consider is making sure the height of your shoes are acceptable for the circumstances, an appropriate height in a style that adds to your outfit goes a very long way. Plus, they need to be polished. This is a must in my view as all the little things add up in making a first impression. Everything from accessories chosen to how you’ve styled your hair will shape someone’s perception.

Dependent on the occasion, you may wish to decide upon your outfit a few days beforehand. This will allow you to get the outfit dry cleaned and your accessories matched before the big day, thus preventing any accidents the day, as no-one wants to be running around the house frantically trying to find a replacement outfit on the day of the event. We’ve all been there when for no logical or sound reason at all, whatever we try on, we hate and think it doesn’t look right. I most certainly hope these thinking points will help everyone to stay calm and collected when that important first impression is on the horizon.

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- Sponsored article written by Eada Hudes in association with Frockaholics.com