AIBU to think what you wear affects performance at work

[myhandsareverycold]

Just that really.

I work from home and in the community. I find there is a direct correlation between being dressed smartly, make up on, hair done brushed and being in 'at home clothes' to my performance and productivity.

I feel I work better, think better and perform better when I am dressed well.

I always remember my son telling me that his headmaster would remind the pupils to dress extra smartly when it they had an exam. (Remember cufflinks, polish shoes, top button done, tie neat etc) and he has taken this forward in life and always makes an extra effort for important days.

I know it's physiological but does anyone else feel like this or am I just an odd bod!

Would be interested to hear everyone's views.

This is one of those interminable threads (excuse the pun) where everyone lists what they do, and why what they wear is perfect for what it is they do.

I think there are all sorts of routines and habits you can develop that help you get into a particular mindset quickly. Wearing a particular style of clothes or the routine of getting dressed in clothes you only wear for a particular role can do it for you. But it isn’t automatic it’s something an association you develop.

I find a hot drink, ideally black coffee, sitting at my desk gets me in the zone for working on detail orientated stuff pretty reliably.

The important thing to remember is that just because something works for you doesn’t mean it works for others.

If I'm in a big meeting, or presenting somewhere, I feel much more confident if I'm casually dressed. Dressing formally makes me feel like I look nervous. If I'm dressed casually I feel much more like I project an air of confidence, and I can prove myself through my words/actions rather than my looks. Completely the opposite to the norm, but it works for me!

I don't think it's opposite to the norm, I think it's a male norm. (Obviously field-dependent.) I'm an academic, and what I see is senior men dressed extremely casually, because they can -- and ECRs, particularly younger women, dressed to the nines. The biggest international name in my department, a man, wears shorts and sandals all year round. It points up for me the intersection of power, maleness, and ideas about 'professionalism' on the one hand and conventionally feminine self-presentation on the other.

Of course, a woman dressing like Big Male International Name would have an entirely different effect -- because exposing her bare legs and feet would either involve shaving/waxing, pedicure etc, or refusing to conform to these gendered self-presentation standards. For him it's comfortable and easy and clearly suits him and also demonstrates his power. For an imaginary female equivalent, it's not so easy.

Nah, I do my work from home days in my pjs. Even when I'm in the office, I don't wear makeup, I don't have any hair to brush or style, and I prioritise comfy over smart unless there's going to be a client in the office.
But whatever works for you - we're all individuals!

Hahahaha yeah i couldn't imagine being very productive at work if I wore a suit and high heels...

I work with horses and everywhere is mud 😂

So YANBU, what I wear definitely affects my performance at work I.e whether I fall on my ass or not 😁

I would feel much more comfortable in jeans and trainers in the classroom as opposed to suit jacket and smart (as we have to dress). I would be more expressive dressed as me

I do not ever wear smart clothes, makeup etc to do so would make me feel I was wearing a costume.

For part of my working life I had bright red dreadlocks and facial piercings - and before some of you jump to conclusions - I was a Political Advisor at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, back in John Prescott's day.

currently still in my PJ's as I work from home and find I work so much better when comfortable

If I see someone wearing a suit I assume they need to boost their confidence - i.e. they lack that quiet confidence without projecting an image.

However I do agree though that certain routines can get you in the right mindset for anything and the process of dressing up like that might work for some people - maybe I should readjust my thinking and that its a bit harsh for me to think that is a fake projection to cover a lack of confidence.

So interesting! Thanks for all your replies.

I work in horticulture. I won't be wearing cufflinks or polishing my wellies any time soon.

@myhandsareverycold I feel the same as you. If I have to go to a meeting or do a presentation at work, I always put a suit on with full makeup, heels etc. It makes me walk taller (the heels!) and feel more confident. Its my work uniform - I am not stylish or creative and if I tried to put together an outfit that wasn't 'old fashioned workwear' I would look and feel a total mess. I'm 50 and have always been in an office environment where looking smart equals tailoring.

If you're trussed up in a skirt, close fitting blouse, jacket and wearing heels, you aren't going to be as productive as if you're wearing tailored but loose fitting separates and a pair of shoes that are smart but designed for comfort - like most men's shoes and clothes are. Think about how it annoys you if you've got a pair of tights that need to be repeatedly hoisted up, or, like I suffered today, the agony of an underwire snapping in half and attempting to become the crappiest tit piercing in the world.

Maybe pyjamas would be more comfortable than that, but it's not just about productivity in many jobs, it's about other people's impressions of your productivity; if they see you looking like you've been dragged through a hedge backwards (my natural hair style) or spend your evenings underneath a heap of puppies (as I would, given half a chance), they assume that you're barely scraping through because you can barely manage to get a brush through your hair or pick clothes up off the bedroom floor in the morning. Look a bit smarter, fulfill basic requirements, even if in your version of them, and their impressions are of greater competency.

I'm so much more productive working from home in comfy clothes. As long as I've had a shower and brushed my teeth, that is!!

I am another one who knows she works better in messy casual clothes. However, I have been in environments where it's very valuable, relevant that the meeting chair has power dressed. It's all part of their role to tell everyone what to do and asserts their authority. I love strong women making stuff happen btw, but am very not one of them, btw.

It's obviously going to be personal preference, no right or wrong, anything that makes you work efficiently at home is fine isn't it?

Although I work for myself an could work from home all the time, I often work in my local university library.
It means having to have a shower, get dressed, brush my hair etc.
I find I'm much more productive that way
When I work from home, I find slopping about in relaxing clothes doesn't send the right signals to my brain and I don't get as much done