Why What You Wear Still Matters at Work (Whether We Like It or Not)

What you wear at work is not about fashion rules, trends, or being told what you should wear.

But it is about perception.

In this episode of Career Clarity Insights, I explore why clothing is a form of non-verbal communication, how first impressions are formed, and why appearance still plays a role in credibility, confidence, and leadership presence — whether we like it or not.

This is not a conversation about judgment or conformity. It is about understanding the environment you operate in and making intentional choices that work for you, not against you.

Drawing on psychology, leadership research, and real-world experience, I reflect on why ignoring this topic does not make it disappear, and how simplicity, consistency, and awareness can reduce decision fatigue and support leadership presence.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why appearance influences perception and trust

• How first impressions are formed (often unconsciously)

• Why leadership presence is not about being loud or extroverted

• How context, culture, and role shape expectations

• The difference between accidental and intentional choices

• Reflective questions to help you decide what message you are sending

Full Transcript

Introduction

Hello and welcome to Career Clarity Insights. I’m Elsa Hogan, and this is where I share reflections and practical ideas to help you build a career and life that you love. Let’s jump in.

Today I want to talk about something that can feel a little uncomfortable, sometimes controversial, and often misunderstood. I’m taking a bit of a risk here. What you wear at work, and whether it matters or not.

Before we go any further, I want to be really clear about something. This is not me telling you what you should or should not be wearing to work. It’s not about fashion rules, conforming to your environment, or squeezing yourself into somebody else’s idea of what professional looks like. And it’s definitely not about judgment.

What I do want to talk about is perception. Because what you wear communicates something, whether you intend it to or not. And that’s not my opinion — it’s fact. It’s something that has been studied extensively in psychology, leadership research, and organisational behaviour.

Clothing is a form of non-verbal communication. It signals how seriously you take your role, how you see yourself, how you understand the environment you’re operating in, and sometimes whether you feel aligned or out of place in it. People are picking up on these signals all the time, even if they can’t articulate exactly what they’re responding to.

If you pause for a moment and think honestly about your own reactions, you’ll probably recognise this. When somebody consistently shows up looking scruffy or unkempt, even subconsciously it can create questions about reliability or attention to detail. Whereas when somebody shows up polished and intentional, it often signals confidence and readiness before they’ve even spoken.

One of the reasons I find this subject uncomfortable is because ideally it shouldn’t matter. We want to believe that our work speaks for itself, that competence and capability matter more than appearance, and that results should outweigh image. And I genuinely agree with that. But the reality is that humans make judgments — quickly, unconsciously, and often without realising they’re doing it. First impressions are formed in seconds, and appearance plays a role in early assumptions about credibility, confidence, leadership, and trustworthiness, long before someone has seen your work in action.

Ignoring that reality doesn’t make it disappear.

Earlier in my career, I questioned this a lot, particularly around how women are perceived in professional environments. I was curious whether wearing heels versus flats actually mattered, and what message that sent to different people. What came back time and time again in studies I’d read wasn’t about attractiveness or femininity, but about authority and presence. In some environments, heels were associated with seniority and confidence. In others, flats were associated with approachability and practicality.

And of course, in many industries it doesn’t matter at all because uniforms or safety requirements set the standard. But later in my career, when I had more choice in what I wore, this question stayed with me. It was never about the shoe itself, but about the perception people were forming and the conclusions they were drawing.

There are no universal rules for what you should or shouldn’t wear. Context matters far more than any checklist ever could. Your industry matters. Your role matters. Culture matters. Expectations in aerospace, finance, tech, healthcare, and creative industries are all different. Even within the same organisation, expectations shift depending on whether you’re client-facing, leading teams, or influencing senior stakeholders.

This becomes particularly relevant when we talk about leadership presence. Leadership presence is not about being loud, dominant, or extroverted. Many senior leaders simplify their wardrobes over time, not because they lack individuality, but because simplicity reduces decision fatigue. It creates consistency and allows attention to stay on the work rather than the outfit.

For me, that often looks like a simple white top or shirt, a dark suit, and black loafers. It’s professional, practical, and appropriate for my environment — and that is intentional. It may look boring to some, but it removes friction and frees up mental energy for problem-solving and decision-making.

You might be listening to this thinking that you genuinely don’t care what people think about what you wear, and that’s completely valid. But the more useful question is whether you’ve ever considered what impact your clothing choices might have on how others perceive your credibility or readiness for progression, not in a critical way, but a curious one.

So here are a few questions to sit with. What role do you want to be seen as ready for? What does credibility look like in your environment? Are you dressing by habit, comfort, resistance, or intention? And if you look at people who inspire you in your field, how do they tend to show up?

This isn’t about changing who you are. It’s about making sure your choices are working for you, not against you.

I’ll end with this. What you wear is a form of communication. The choice you have is whether that communication is accidental or intentional.

Thank you for listening, and I’ll see you in the next episode of Career Clarity Insights.