Study: High-End Clothes Can Improve Performance Apparently, it really pays off when you dress for success.

By Lindsay Friedman

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Unsplash.com

Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Fake it until you make it. Look good, feel good, do good.

Professionals have used phrases like this for years. But it's not just sound advice backed by experience anymore. According to a study by researchers from Penn State, Notre Dame and the University of Kentucky, folks who wear brand name clothes to work were found to have more confidence and performed better.

Related: 'Clothes' the Deal: 7 Ways to Dress to Impress

So, go ahead, buy those expensive designer duds. Dress for the job you want (or think) you should have. It's not just a "treat yourself" purchase anymore. There's no need to justify the need for another $1,000 suit. Those $600 Jimmy Choo's say success. That $200 Chanel jacket? Science.

In actuality, clothes don't even have to really be legitimate designer merchandise. Researchers found if they simply told people they were using a high-end Nike golf putter rather than some off-brand imposer, performance improved by 20 percent. The hole-in-one mentality also proved true for people who were given "high-performance" earplugs to wear during a math quiz.

"Some people have a power suit that they put on for important presentations, or they have some special cufflink that they put on to bring them luck," Frank Germann, Ph.D., an assistant professor of marketing at Notre Dame University Mendoza College of Business, who worked on the study, told Bloomberg. "I think our research would suggest that engaging in that kind of behavior might actually work."

Previous research found a similar correlation between attitude and clothing. For example, a study published in 2008 by Journal of Marketing Research showed logo exposure could actually make people act in a certain way, based on the identity of the brand itself. For example, Apple loyalists were more creative. Disney lovers were more honest compared to E! Entertainment enthusiasts.

Related: Insights: How to Dress to Impress

Lindsay Friedman

Staff writer. Frequently covers franchise news and food trends.

Lindsay Friedman is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Data & Recovery

Through March 24th: 1TB of Premium Cloud Storage Is Just $130 with This Code

Koofr offers advanced file management features, integration with external cloud management accounts, and reliable security.

Business News

'A Lobstrosity': Social Media Is Losing It Over Martha Stewart's Latest Meal Posting

The 82-year-old caused quite a stir on Instagram this week.

Business News

7 Shocking AI Trends for 2024 That Will Leave You Speechless

Make sure these trends are on your radar.

Side Hustle

This Gen Zer's Stylish Side Hustle Earns About $20,000 a Month and Paid Off His Parents' $200,000 Debt: 'I Enjoy the Hands-Off Nature'

Ray Cao went from working as a barista for $8 an hour to being a successful seller on online marketplace StockX.