communication

The Power of Appearance

Clothing shapes first impressions, confidence, and performance. The psychology of appearance — and how to use personal uniforms to improve focus and impact.

Editor’s note: This essay sits within the Cultivated library on communication, behaviour, and how environments shape performance. Related pieces explore presence, perception, and the conditions that enable good work.

The Power of Appearance

We like to believe appearance does not matter.
It does.

Not only in how others perceive us, but in how we perform ourselves.

Clothing shapes first impressions, confidence, and cognitive performance. It is a quiet lever — but a powerful one.

This essay can also be explored in audio form. You’re welcome to listen — or continue reading below.

First Impressions Are Communication Without Words

Before you speak, you communicate.

Clothing, posture, and expression send signals.
People decode them instantly, using cultural norms and personal biases.

You would not wear jogging bottoms to a wedding.
You probably would not wear a three-piece suit to a barbecue.

Context sets the rules.
Within those rules, clothing speaks — whether you intend it to or not.

Smart vs Casual: The Psychology of Perception

Research consistently shows that professional clothing is associated with competence, intelligence, and success. (Angerosa, n.d.)
More casual clothing tends to signal warmth, creativity, and approachability.

In sales settings, professionally dressed individuals were perceived as more educated and trustworthy — and even their products were rated as higher quality. (Stuart and Fuller, 1991)

The ensemble matters.
Not one item. The whole signal.

When I put on a suit, people engage differently.
And, importantly, so do I.

Confidence, Expression, and Context

Clothing affects how we feel.

Research shows what we wear influences confidence and self-perception. (University of Ljubljana et al., 2014)
But how others interpret us is never fully in our control.

What we can control is alignment:

Purpose
Audience
Context

Formal clothing often signals competence and authority.
Casual clothing often signals warmth and openness.

Both are useful.
The key is authenticity. If you feel uncomfortable or inauthentic, it will leak into your behaviour.

Clothing and Performance

This is where it gets interesting.

People dressed formally report higher “felt power” and improved focus on tasks.
Clothing does not just change perception. It changes cognition. (Slepian et al., 2015)

I see this in my own work. When I deliver keynotes or run workshops, I wear a specific blazer. Not to impress others — but because I perform better. It signals seriousness and presence to my own mind.

The garment becomes a psychological trigger.

Enclothed Cognition: Symbols Matter

In one study, participants wearing a lab coat performed better — but only when told it was a scientist’s coat. When told it was a painter’s coat, performance did not improve. (Adam and Galinsky, 2012)

It is not just the clothing.
It is the meaning attached to it.

Uniforms work because they symbolise a role.
Roles shape behaviour.

Personal Uniforms as Performance Triggers

I use clothing deliberately:

Presenting and teaching: a blazer that signals “high-performance mode”
Performance Driving: a consistent outfit that sharpens focus
DIY: workwear that signals physical, practical effort
Fitness: gym clothes that remove excuses

Each outfit is a cue.
Each cue primes behaviour.

Dressing With Purpose

Three practical principles:

Match context and purpose.
If in doubt, lean slightly more formal. It signals competence.

Use clothing to support confidence.
Wear what feels authentic. Confidence comes from alignment, not costume.

Create symbolic uniforms.
Assign outfits to high-value activities. Over time, they become triggers for focus and flow. Similar to how our environments do the same.