Most people are aware that there isn’t a uniform for polytechnic students which basically leaves us to dress in almost any way that we please. While some students are not really bothered by the trends and just dress casually to school, there are others who are the complete opposite. These are the students who dress well, who would spend time putting together their outfits and doing their hair. It isn’t a rare sight to see students coming on a normal school for classes with high heels and full make-up.
Dressing well shows respect for others. I’m not a teacher, but I’ve talked to a number of lecturers who find it frustrating that their students, as a rule, come to class looking like they’ve just rolled out of bed and would really rather be there still. No lecturer likes it when students seem not to care, and you can communicate “not caring” by wearing a shirt that hasn’t been washed in weeks as well as you can by staring out the window during the lecture.
The look that is common to a number of polytechnic students and others today—cargo shorts, t-shirts, jeans,—is mainly one that emphasizes comfort and individualism. Walking around in a hoodie communicates, “I don’t care what anybody else thinks about how I look; I’ll wear whatever I want and whatever I’m comfortable in.” Dressing up a bit, on the other hand, tells those around you that you care about the image you present to them, that you don’t want to give offense, and that you take things seriously, including your studies.
Yes, the course that one is studying may affect his/her dressing to a certain extent too. For instance, a Design student will tend to have his/her clothes colour coordinated. This could very well be due to the student’s artistic abilities as well.
So, how would a student’s dressing affect him/her in the corporate world? Would it have any impact? If there is, then would the impact be positive or negative?
Most students learn, within just a few years of graduation, that just wearing whatever’s most comfortable isn’t really good enough to do well in the corporate world. Employers have dress codes, and clients have expectations that force one to put away the jeans and learn to wear ties and suits. Casual culture notwithstanding, most people are still expected to dress up when it’s necessary, and not knowing how can portray an element of immaturity. Why not begin learning how to dress like an adult, and do it with style and elegance, before it’s absolutely necessary? If you dress like a confident man or elegant lady, you’re more likely to be treated that way. But if you continue to dress like an adolescent, you’ll probably be treated accordingly.
The way a person dresses indeed has an impact on him/her when he/she is in the corporate world. The reason is simple. We all never forget a first impression. The way one dresses is a direct representation of a person’s qualities. For instance, it could be as simple as wearing a shirt that doesn’t have any creases in it, which shows us that the person takes pride in being neat and tidy. A lady who dresses up with a colour coordinated ‘package’per se will tend to be deemed as one who is creative, artisitic as well as meticulous. Its these very subtle hints about a person that we pick up that will ultimately make or break his/her first impression.
Also, taking for instance that one has got the job and supposedly the boss decides that there is an opportunity for an employee to get a promotion. Taking it that there are two candidates who are nominated for the position and they have equal standing, which one of them would be more likely to get the job? Well, it would have to be the one who presents himself/herself in a better way and one’s dressing would be an important factor in this component.
So, how does one dress well? The goal is to dress respectfully and maturely, yet with style. But what does that mean? So far, I have been fairly light on specifics, and that’s for a reason. I’m more concerned with encouraging a way of thinking about dress than I am with prescribing a specific wardrobe.
It may take time and effort to learn how to wear clothing in a restrained and tasteful way that communicates respect and maturity, but it is well worth it. I encourage every student who takes himself/herself and his/her studies seriously to take up the challenge and make his/her years at school stylish ones.
This short InternSG article is a feature by Nicolette Pereira. You can view our recent interview article with Nicolette in our Featured Student Write-up series. Nicolette Pereira is a third year student from Singapore Polytechnic, studying Media and Communication with a certificate in Humanitarian Affairs under the diploma plus programme offered by Singapore Polytechnic. She is also a facili-trainer at Positive Intentions,which is the official training company for the Youth Olympic Games.