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comment by mk
mk  ·  4876 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Dressing The Part (or not) in Academia
*>it seems like he was looking for positive effects and he found them.P

I agree with that. Also, if the attire made him feel different, I think it's likely he acted different when he wore it.

I'm a pretty casual dresser, but over the years I've tried a lot of different styles of clothes and hair, some that made people confused at times, I think. Back in school I usually had long hair and a wide range of clothing styles. My brother was more traditional, -he wore college t-shirts, etc. For a few days I deliberately dressed like my brother. Almost immediately a girl in my chemistry class (that was a cheerleader, I think) began talking to me. It's just an anecdote, but I do think it makes a difference. I could definitely tell a difference between having long hair and short hair. Some merchants will obviously treat you differently.

If a man in a suit or a man in rags begs my pardon in the street, I can't help but have a different idea of what they are going to ask me.





alpha0  ·  4875 days ago  ·  link  ·  
"I think it's likely he acted different when he wore it."

Doesn't that apply to everyone? It certainly works for me. In fact I noticed that even wearing a wristwatch or long hair has a subtle effect; certainly it is manifested in physical ticks. And when you get into piercings and tattoos the effect is very pronounced.