Dress Is More

Don't fool yourself: Appearances still count, whether you have a casual office or a more formal setting with once-a-week casual days. Why? Psychologists say we size up strangers in a matter of seconds by their appearances-and appearances can either reinforce an image, or negate it. So, if clothes talk, shouldn't your wardrobe be speaking the right language? If you don't dress for the role you want to play, you'll have a hard time making it to center stage. Fortunately, dressing appropriately is an easily learned skill. Read on to discover formulas for packaging yourself for perfect impact.

Robert McGarvey and Babs S. Harrison live and shop in the San Francisco Bay area. McGarvey proudly limits his annual clothing purchases to under $500. Harrison confesses to spending "a bit more," a fact proven by her overflowing closets.

This article was originally published in the September 2000 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Dress Is More.