Wearing a suit not only changes how you look and how others perceive you. It also affects how you think. Men who wear more formal clothing tend to think more strategically and broadly, according to a new US research study.
“Putting on formal clothes makes us feel powerful, and that changes the basic way we see the world,” says Abraham Rutchick, an author of the study and a professor of psychology at California State University, Northridge. In an article in the April issue of The Atlantic Monthly, Rutchick and his co-authors explain that in a series of experiments, they discovered that participants who wore formal attire were more likely to think more broadly and holistically, rather than narrowly and about fine-grained details.
“In psychological parlance, wearing a suit encourages people to use abstract processing more readily than concrete processing,” notes the article based on a research paper, the Cognitive Consequences of Formal Clothing. The research confirms what Knot Standard has long known: wearing a suit makes a man feel powerful and capable and confident. It also helps him think like a leader and to be perceived as one by those around him.
The researchers conducted experiments where they asked college student participants to dress in formal clothes and then take a series of tests. Those who wore clothes they might wear to a job interview, i.e. a suit, were more likely to demonstrate high level thinking including abstract processing that helps with strategic planning and executive decision making.
Choose a Knot Standard suit to elevate your look and your thinking. We recommend the Madison Baltic Blue for a dashing and sophisticated summer suit. Made from 100% Super 110s Wool, 260g/m from famous Italian mill Vitale Barberis Canonico, the Madison Baltic Blue works well in the boardroom and a Friday night soiree.
Ask a Knot Standard stylist for help in choosing the perfect customizations to suit your elevated sense of style.