What Your Clothes Say

As we have learned, there are verbal messages and nonverbal messages, and we also know that each form can be expressed in various ways, but what some might not know, or at least might not notice, is that your clothes send out messages too. But what messages are your clothes sending? And are they sending the correct messages?

Color contrast plays an important role in what your clothes are trying to communicate, because in order to convey a message, you have to be visible first. Hence, it is important to find the right balance, as too much contrast will result in too much attention to your clothes and none on you, too little will result in you being overlooked entirely. Well of course, if you are like me, and don't really care about whether you are noticed or not, fill your wardrobe with multiple sets of the same boring clothes and you are good to go.

Moving on to the actual message. Style lays the foundation for whatever statement you are trying to make. Choosing the right style is to wear what best represents your personality. This means choosing not only appropriate colors, but the right patterns, textures and accessories.

If you are a real outgoing extrovert and want to send that message, dress the part. Wear patterns, colors and accessories that fit with your contrast and draw lots of attention. Choosing an inappropriate style such as pastels(for an outgoing person) will cause confusion when people realize after getting to know you that you are not a pastel kind of person. Similarly, if you are a calm introvert, choosing a flashy look will draw more attention to you than you desire. In a nutshell, choose a style that makes a statement without overpowering your natural energy.

Do's and Dont's

Do dress in something you feel comfortable in.
Do dress for the occasion. NO SLIPPERS to anywhere but the nearest market or kopitiam
Do match your clothes with your accessories. i.e. bag with shoes for women, or shoes with top/belt, for men.

Don't try to pull off a look that is not you, chances are it'll come out all sorts of wrong.
Don't over-accessorize. i.e. not too much make-up, no ridiculous amounts of bracelets/bangles and necklaces, an absolutley no make-up for men.
Don't dye your hair a color that is not natural to your ethnicity. i.e. blonde for asians

For larger people

Wear something fitting, too tight will make you look disgusting, too loose will make you look even larger(contrary to popular belief).

It is true that darker colors can make you look smaller or slimmer, but wearing black from head to toe(if it doesnt suit your personality), will just look wierd. Try softer colors like Gray or Navy Blue, mix and match from there.


For stick-thin people

Wear fitting clothes in general. If your attire is too loose, you will end up looking sick and weak. A good judge is wind. If you stand in the wind and the portion of your shirt flapping in the wind is larger than the portion actually covering you, you are wrong. For pants, the rule of thumb is, if your butt doesn't decently fill your pants, downsize. You don't want to wear something too tight though, as tight-fitting clothes on a skinny person just emphasizes how skinny you are.

Lastly and most importantly, DRESS YOUR GENDER. This means, nono to skin-tight, body-hugging clothes for men, and loose berms for women.