Dress like a Scholar (and a Gentleman)
By Dominick Cooper, Director and Lead Creative Tutor of Launch Academy, University Guest Speaker, and Winner of the Davinci Scholar Award
If you walk into the business of any successful person, you notice something – they look put together. Now, that doesn’t mean they’re in a suit and tie or blouse and skirt, necessarily, but they don’t look like slobs.
If you wake up in the morning and look like you just got out of bed, chances are, you’ll probably act like you just got out of bed. Your appearance hugely affects your perception of yourself AND your ability.
So, to boost your ego and boost your test scores, follow these 5 STEPS every day!
1) Comb your hair – Disheveled hair is so unsightly (and you know it)! If you don’t have a clean cut, at least make sure you don’t look like Alfalfa when you walk into your first hour. Hair is one of the first things people notice about other people and also what you notice about yourself. So make it look neat.
Don’t do it. Ever.
2) Clean up that scruff – Now I’m not saying shave it all off because some people are blessed with a manly mustache and are morally obligated not to shave it. However, make sure you don’t look like a bum. If you can’t sport good-looking facial hair, then don’t try. You don’t look manly or “rugged.” You look like a bum. A lazy bum.
Never shave this.
3) Wear non-wrinkled clothes – Imagine wearing a white shirt. Now imagine a small mustard stain right on the front. Annoying right? Wrinkled clothes are the same way! It’s sloppy and can be avoided. Fold your clothes right, don’t throw them in a pile, and you’ll look much better. You don’t see Ryan Gosling wearing wrinkly clothes do you?
When in fashionable doubt, consult Ryan Gosling.
4) Make sure you smell good – If you don’t smell good, then make sure you don’t smell. Period. Bad smells are the worst (THE WORST!). A business friend of mine actually lost a client, not because their product or service was bad, but because the employee who helped them stunk like a sweaty sock. Smelling good also boosts your ego and in turn makes you perform better academically.
How people feel when you stink around them.
5) Make sure you match – Color matching is something you can learn, like everything else (unless you’re color-blind). If you’re part of a select group of people who can match crazy colors together and make them look good, then go right ahead – you are blessed. But, if you can’t match clothes, then play it safe – black and any color except for brown, jeans and any color except for the same color as the jeans, and grey and any color.
This is matching a little too much…
Stay Smart and Look Sharp!
– Dominick
