Inferring Status and Competence from Signals of Nonconformity (2013) [pdf]
hbs.edu
hbs.edu
So I guess I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to?
So if you're dressing that way out of laziness or apathy it doesn't count, you have to be non-conforming on purpose.
I have a very distinct style that is my own. It is done on purpose and I have been known to be late for things because it took me too long to choose what to wear. The style doesn't really conform to anything.
So while I'm not being nonconforming to be nonconforming, I am also particular about what I wear. The only times when my dress is purely a matter of convenience/laziness is when I'm at home or working out.
it's like buying a $100 pair of sunglasses because you really like them, vs. buying a $100 pair of sunglasses because you saw them and thought 'oh hey, sunglasses.' people see the former as the decision of a savvy person, the latter as that of a fool.
As an aside, has anyone fathomed that some clothes are good for thinking and coding while others are good for meetings and customer engagement?
It's all about credibility indicators, and they go both ways.
A founder friend relates a story about the day he gave in and started wearing suits. He has a tech background and is generally averse to display, but noticed that wearing a suit was correlated with shorter meetings. On the flip side, when he dressed casually, there was a longer proving period at the beginning of every meeting where he had to establish credibility in spite appearances / signalling. So, he started bringing a suit along everywhere as a "make meetings shorter" hack.
Pretty sure he plain old enjoys wearing suits at this point though.
Like, you can be wearing the nicest of tuxedo pants with the nicest of button-down shirts, but adding just the right hat or scarf magically turns it into a casual outfit.
"Unconventional accessories are always a good pick" is playing with fire, as is recommending tuxedo pants, a button down, and a hat or scarf.
Have you seen what nerds do when told it's okay to wear hats?
But when I'm travelling overseas, it gets a much more positive and inquisitive reaction. Many times people have used the hat as an ice-breaker to start an interesting conversation with me. And if you're the only person with a hat in a group, it can be helpful branding so people recognize & remember you.
(Another reason was that I liked having long hair, and the few months when I was short-haired before shaving made me unhappy.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15z3MU3Zel8
peace up, a-town down
(If that sounds snarky, most principles of "Game" apply to business. In fact, part of what makes Game so creepy is that it's men applying sales tactics to the early stages of romantic relationships, where that transactional mentality shouldn't apply. Most nerds would do well to develop "work Game".)