A policeman in plain clothes is a man; in his uniform he is ten. Clothes and title are the most potent thing, the most formidable influence, in the earth. They move the human race to willing and spontaneous respect for the judge, the general, the admiral, the bishop, the ambassador, the frivolous earl, the idiot duke, the sultan, the king, the emperor. No great title is efficient without clothes to support it.
- Mark Twain

Perhaps the problem comes from the words “dress up,” I like to think of it more as dressing the part (which can be done at almost any price range, negating the class status arguments).

Superman is not nearly as super if he flys around in clark kent’s suit. He might be just as effective but he’s not nearly what we expect and, like it or not, a large part of life is about meeting and managing expectations.

It sets a good mental framework for yourself and for others, test yourself if you work at home… you feel completely different about your day if you get dressed and then go to your desk than if you just roll out of bed and work in your pajamas all day.

You wouldn’t design the same website aesthetically for a band that you would for a maternity shop and you should think as a designer when you make your clothing choices too. Its a quick and easy way to convey things that would take far too many words otherwise.

2) I’m not sure I agree entirely on this one, although I do get your point. Over half the world isn’t even involved in this conversation. And you’re right – when taken in that context, talking about the idea of “dressing up” suddenly becomes very absurd.

But if we’re talking about two people who live in, say, Chicago, who are up for a job, who have similar skills, similar dispositions (meaning neither one is a jerk) and who both have $100 to spend on clothing, I would be willing to bet the person who’s rocking an ironed shirt and slacks will have the edge over the person with the “Meat Loaf World Tour ‘93″ t-shirt on. Your clothing can communicate class, but it can also communicate that you care about details, you respect the person you’re meeting with, you take your job seriously, etc.

1) Why your dad? Was he your mentor? If not, why not 5 things your mom can teach you…? My mom definitely taught me a lot about business…

2) Dressing up is synonymous with class standing. The status quo has generally been maintained with the concept that your dress = your class = how you are perceived/treated. Dressing up shows that you have the money to dress up.

My 2.5 cents :-)