When people think of body language, they often think of subliminal signs such as crossed arms, dilated pupils, and fake smiles. But, the type of clothing a person wears can also serve as a form of body language. People often use clothing to signify their age, gender, political views, and economic class. Have you ever judged a person based solely on their clothing? While you may think you haven’t, you probably have. Before you even hear them speak or know anything about them, you probably make certain assumptions about a person based on their clothing. Often, we expect certain people to dress a certain way before we learn anything about their credentials. When you see a person wear masks and hold a gun in their hands while flagging you down on a high way, something comes to your mind through their dressing. Hence, accessories can always be deployed to reflect the mental state of a person (Pelham, 2018).
If you have ever gone on a job interview, you have probably put much thought into what you wore. Most people try to pick out one of their nicest outfits to wear, so they make a good first impression before the employer ever asks them any questions. First impressions are very important and clothing is one of the biggest factors in first impressions (Pelham, 2018). The fact is that we all make assumptions due to the accessories people put on per time. Imagine going to your doctor’s office and you meet them dressed in a dirty lab coat, apart from being unhappy, you might also think of switching doctors for that particular act alone. The reason for this is that we assign a minimum expectation on certain professions. While you expect your doctor to be cleanly and neatly dressed, if you saw a construction worker or painter who had on clean clothing, you might tend to think he or she didn’t do much work because we expect them to be dirty since it is a dirty occupation (Pelham, 2018).
Let’s start by considering the clothing of the political class. Politicians can wear clothing to their advantage. If they want to impress, you may see them in a suit and tie or dress. But, if they want to give the public the impression that they identify with them, they may wear jeans and a shirt. Certain types of clothing carry certain assumptions. For example, some people like to wear cultural clothing. If you see a woman wearing a sari, you automatically make certain assumptions about her. You may assume she is Indian and Hindu based merely on her clothing, although she may be neither (Pelham, 2018).
Furthermore, teenagers also embrace clothing as a means of nonverbal communication. Teenagers like to dress differently to exert their independence yet at the same time, they may dress alike. Before the 1950s, boys who wore jeans and t-shirts may have upon first sight been labeled as rebels. Teens who wore tie-dye during the ‘60s were automatically believed to be flower children, regardless of their political and social views. Teens like to dress differently from their elders to establish their independence and rebel against authority. By wearing clothing different from adults, many times they are trying to express that they have different attitudes about politics, society, and culture (Pelham, 2018).
West Side Toast Masters (WSTM) also notes how accessories reflect the mental state of a person. It states in the introductory aspect of its article on ‘The Meaning Behind Personal Accessories’ thus: “Almost every artificial aid a person uses gives them an opportunity to perform a number of revealing gestures and this is certainly the case with those who wear glasses. One of the most common gestures is placing one arm of the frame in the mouth.”
If a person puts an arm of the frame of their glasses in their mouth, it is a momentary attempt by the person to relive the security he experienced as a baby at his mother’s breast. This means that the Glasses-Arm-in-Mouth gesture is essentially a reassurance gesture. If you wear glasses you may sometimes feel as if you are looking at life through two toilet paper rolls, but you are perceived by others as being more studious and intelligent, particularly in the early stages of a meeting. In one study, people pictured wearing glasses were judged by respondents as being 14 IQ points more intelligent compared to when they were not wearing them. The ‘intelligent’ look is reduced, however, if you wear glasses with oversized lenses, Elton John-style colored frames or designer glasses with distracting initials on the frame. Wearing glasses that are one size larger than the face can make younger people look older, more studious and more authoritative (WSTM, 2018).
As with cigarette smoking, the Glasses-Arm-in-Mouth action can be used to stall or delay a decision. In negotiating, it has been found that this gesture appears most frequently at the close when the person has been asked for a decision. Continually taking the glasses off and cleaning the lenses is another method used by glasses wearers to gain time for a decision. When this gesture is seen immediately after a decision has been asked for, silence is the best tactic. The gestures that follow Glasses-Arm-in-Mouth signal the person’s intention and allow an alert negotiator to respond accordingly. For example, if the person puts the glasses back on, this often means that he wants to ‘see’ the facts again. Folding the glasses and putting them away signals an intention to terminate the conversation and throwing the glasses onto the desk is symbolically rejecting the proposal.
In conclusion, it is pertinent to note that tinted glasses and sunglasses are never acceptable in business contexts and arouse suspicions in social environments. When you want to convey that you see things clearly and precisely you must have clear glass in the frames – keep sunglasses and tinted lenses for outdoors (WSTM, 2018).
References
Pelham, L (2018). Clothing as a Form of Nonverbal Communication. Retrieved from http://www.bodylanguageexpert.co.uk/clothing-form-non-verbal-communication.html
Presentation Prep (2018).Body Language—Appearance and Clothing. Retrieved from https://www.presentationprep.com/body-language-appearance-clothes/
WSTM (2018). The Meaning Behind Personal Accessories. Retrieved from http://westsidetoastmasters.com/resources/book_of_body_language/chap13.html
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