From her Lulu Lemon leggings to her Dr. Marten boots, every part of her outfit comes with its own reputation.
As she walks down the hallway, her peers look at her in awe, aspiring to earn enough money to live as luxurious a life as hers.
Little do they know, she works everyday after school and spends every penny she has just to pay for her next outfit.
Many people value appearance over authenticity; choosing to appear wealthy rather than save up their money and actually become wealthier.
In some cases, those who fake wealth by wearing nice clothing gain a higher social status in society and manage to increase their likelihood of achieving actual wealth.
Michael Kraus, an assistant professor of organizational behavior at Yale School of Management co-wrote a study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology which showed that wearing clothes that give off a high social status increases dominance as well as job performance.
Many believe that the effects shown in Kraus’ study stem from the common saying “fake it ‘til you make it.”
Rhea Subramanian, a junior, said, “If you are more confident, you’re more likely to succeed. Therefore, if wearing nicer clothes that you may not be able to afford makes you more confident because of the status it gives you, those clothes could actually be helping you to make your fake wealth a reality."
Not only does this clothing increase job performance, but it is also proven to increase the probability of one being hired, promoted, or given a raise.
A man wearing a nice, tailor-made suit, when glanced at, has a higher chance of being hired and payed more than the same man wearing an average quality suit, according to a study co-written by psychology professors at the University of Hertfordshire, UK.
Some believe that the idea of “dressing to impress” also has a strong effect on the choices that people, especially teens, make while deciding what type of clothing to wear.
Tyrese Lopez, a junior, said, “I believe a lot of my peers care about what other people think of them. Sometimes this causes them to concentrate only on what they wear and the impression it will leave. They don’t care about all the extra effort they put into being able to afford the designer labels.”
Many people also find that they choose their clothing in order to avoid negative judgement and maintain a positive self-image.
“Clothing affects how other people perceive us as well as how we think about ourselves,” said Northwestern University professor Adam Galinsky in an interview with The New York Times.
From a professional viewpoint, nicer clothing can also show one’s commitment to their current job or one that they hope to have in the future.
Carlmont history teacher Greg Schoenstein said, “I think the way one dresses has a lot to do with professionalism. Dressing nicely demonstrates that you take, or will take, a job seriously. For example, I wear a tie as a way to show that I care about my job and understand its importance. Also, people may think of you more highly if your clothes carry a certain label.”
Many Carlmont students have noticed the effect of judgement about clothing in both their experiences in school and in their extracurricular activities.
“As much as we like to pretend that we judge people solely on character, appearance makes a huge first impression. You don’t want to show up to work looking like you’ve just rolled out of bed because to many, that shows disinterest and laziness, even if you are working hard,” said Subramanian.
By both avoiding negative judgement from others and increasing their chances of a higher status in the business world, many people find that the idea faking wealth by dressing nicely is essential to their personal success.
“People are heavily influenced by labels and appearances. Therefore, faking wealth by using all of your money to buy those types of clothes might just be the best way to actually become wealthy. This is especially true when interviewing for a job or trying to get a promotion because the way you dress affects how you are viewed by others,” said Schoenstein.
The Highlander, January 2017
As she walks down the hallway, her peers look at her in awe, aspiring to earn enough money to live as luxurious a life as hers.
Little do they know, she works everyday after school and spends every penny she has just to pay for her next outfit.
Many people value appearance over authenticity; choosing to appear wealthy rather than save up their money and actually become wealthier.
In some cases, those who fake wealth by wearing nice clothing gain a higher social status in society and manage to increase their likelihood of achieving actual wealth.
Michael Kraus, an assistant professor of organizational behavior at Yale School of Management co-wrote a study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology which showed that wearing clothes that give off a high social status increases dominance as well as job performance.
Many believe that the effects shown in Kraus’ study stem from the common saying “fake it ‘til you make it.”
Rhea Subramanian, a junior, said, “If you are more confident, you’re more likely to succeed. Therefore, if wearing nicer clothes that you may not be able to afford makes you more confident because of the status it gives you, those clothes could actually be helping you to make your fake wealth a reality."
Not only does this clothing increase job performance, but it is also proven to increase the probability of one being hired, promoted, or given a raise.
A man wearing a nice, tailor-made suit, when glanced at, has a higher chance of being hired and payed more than the same man wearing an average quality suit, according to a study co-written by psychology professors at the University of Hertfordshire, UK.
Some believe that the idea of “dressing to impress” also has a strong effect on the choices that people, especially teens, make while deciding what type of clothing to wear.
Tyrese Lopez, a junior, said, “I believe a lot of my peers care about what other people think of them. Sometimes this causes them to concentrate only on what they wear and the impression it will leave. They don’t care about all the extra effort they put into being able to afford the designer labels.”
Many people also find that they choose their clothing in order to avoid negative judgement and maintain a positive self-image.
“Clothing affects how other people perceive us as well as how we think about ourselves,” said Northwestern University professor Adam Galinsky in an interview with The New York Times.
From a professional viewpoint, nicer clothing can also show one’s commitment to their current job or one that they hope to have in the future.
Carlmont history teacher Greg Schoenstein said, “I think the way one dresses has a lot to do with professionalism. Dressing nicely demonstrates that you take, or will take, a job seriously. For example, I wear a tie as a way to show that I care about my job and understand its importance. Also, people may think of you more highly if your clothes carry a certain label.”
Many Carlmont students have noticed the effect of judgement about clothing in both their experiences in school and in their extracurricular activities.
“As much as we like to pretend that we judge people solely on character, appearance makes a huge first impression. You don’t want to show up to work looking like you’ve just rolled out of bed because to many, that shows disinterest and laziness, even if you are working hard,” said Subramanian.
By both avoiding negative judgement from others and increasing their chances of a higher status in the business world, many people find that the idea faking wealth by dressing nicely is essential to their personal success.
“People are heavily influenced by labels and appearances. Therefore, faking wealth by using all of your money to buy those types of clothes might just be the best way to actually become wealthy. This is especially true when interviewing for a job or trying to get a promotion because the way you dress affects how you are viewed by others,” said Schoenstein.
The Highlander, January 2017