Carelessness about personal appearance often will mean failure in business life. If two men of same qualifications were interviewed for a job, the employer will select the one who is neat and clean. The man who is sloppy about his appearance is generally sloppy with his work.
Dressing well does not mean dressing swell. A person who has a common sense and taste can have suitable clothes with less expense. The outer is usually a revelation of the inner. Think of the influence of our outward appearance on others. The outer cover of a book has a considerable influence upon sales. Indeed it has sometimes happened that the first edition of a book has sold very slowly due to dull exterior. The same book reissued with an attractive picture on the jacket has sold like hot cakes. Since people are not acquainted with the inner contents of the book, they judge it by its appearance. Similarly, it takes time to get acquainted with a persons real inner worth. People therefore judge us first by our outward appearance.
Appearances are not always deceptive. They are usually revealing. People will react to us not according to what we feel inwardly, but according to what we express and reveal. In many and various ways, we can impress others by our outward appearance and provide them with clues by which to judge our inner feelings and intentions.
You can change your personality several times a day merely by changing your outfit. And talking of dress, the wise Shakespeare tells us “The apparel often proclaims the man”.
Our clothes should suit us in more than the physical sense. A touch of colour in dress has a buoyant effect upon the spirit. To be dressed suitably to the occasion also gives self confidence and banishes self consciousness.
The general manner in which we hold and deport ourselves makes an impression, both upon us and others. Personal hygiene is part of the duty of man to man.
Last but not the least in the elements which make up a man’s outward appearance is the general expression of his face and in particular his smile. There is no need for us to speak in order to tell people that we are pleased to see them. We can say it all with a smile.
Certainly, inner character matters far more than outer appearance, but one is not substitute for the other.