Whose clothes are you wearing?

They say that clothes don't maketh the man - but they sure
can help.  But what kind of man (or woman) are you?  How do
you want to appear to others?

One of my clients is a manager of a sales team.  He is

expected to get great results and, on the whole, he achieves
this.  However, he realised that many of the team seemed to
be in awe of him and rarely did any of them call him for
help.  Even during team meetings he felt that he was doing
all the talking and the input from his team was minimal. 

He was wearing a charcoal grey, well-tailored suit, white
crisp cotton shirt and a deep red tie.  He looked fabulous
BUT without knowing it, his adopted style was that of an
authoritarian.

A paler grey suit with blue shirt and blue tie has less
contrast and provides a softer look.  He still looked like a
smart businessman BUT he appeared to be more approachable.
The result - his staff opened up more to him as they felt
less intimidated.

Here are some tips for you:

1. Authority is gained by wearing clothes with maximum
contrast: black and white, dark brown and cream, navy and
palest blue.

2. A softer image is gained by dressing in tones and shades
of a single colour: olive green trousers/skirt and slightly
lighter shade for the upper body.

3. Plain, bold colour is authoritative.

4. Introduce pattern or design for a softer look, for
instance a paisley tie with a striped shirt. 

5. The larger the stripe or check in a shirt or blouse, the
more casual it appears.

6. A jacket that compliments, but doesn't exactly match,
trousers or a skirt will appear less authoritative.

7. Fabrics that are stiff and starchy will appear more
authoritative than those that have more fluidity and drape.
The same applies to garments with lots of fitted tailoring
(authority) and less structure (approachable).

8. Red and/or black can look powerful.  Pastels will appear
less so.

9. Guys - a button down collar in a softer fabric will look
less authoritative than a stiff cutaway.

10. Hairstyles that are severe will give an impression of
power.  Hair softly framing the face alludes to warmth.