Why You Need To Dress Decently

By Toye Faleye

Blackcampus 06/19/2023 3 min read

An unemployed young man in his late twenties walked up to a couple who were throwing banters between themselves to while away the time in the verandah of their house. The house was not fenced; hence, anyone is free to enter because there was no gate to bang or doorbell to press.

The young man wore a black colour pullover on tattered jeans, perhaps which might not have been washed for a very long time. He’s dark in complexion and has kinky hair, but unkempt, clutching a small storybook which he folded. He wore a pair of brown palm sanders

He sauntered lazily towards the couple. He greeted them and asked for a favour. Already he had sighted some writings on the whiteboard that was affixed to the wall of the building at the verandah.

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Written on the whiteboard were some exercises on Financial Accounting that the lesson teacher had asked the couple’s children to solve for the next lesson.

Mere sighting what was written on the board from afar, the young man had thought probably that the family might be educated, and that he could be lucky to get fixed up somewhere.

“Good evening sir,” he greeted the couple.

“Yes, good evening,” the woman replied.

” I’m sorry to disturb you a bit sir, ma,” he paused a bit, awaiting their response again. But the husband motioned to him to continue.

“Yes, I need your assistance, sir, ma. I am an OND holder. I studied Business Management. I want you to help me, sir. I need a job,” he paused waiting for the response of the couple.

The man took some minutes to size him up from head to toe before he conducted a brief interrogation. He told him to give them a time, probably they might be able to come up with something.

The wife added that they will do what they could, but that he should bring his CV first. The boy dragged himself out, appearing as if he wanted to ask for another thing, but which he couldn’t muster enough courage to say.

After he left, the man told his wife that they should be able to do something, but that he is afraid of the boy’s appearance.

The wife said one of her colleagues in the office told her they might need someone at her husband’s company but that she too did not like the boy’s appearance. “He looks dirty and untidy. The way I see him, he might belong to a cult. How do I introduce such a fellow.”

“Perhaps if he comes next time I will sit him down and make him see why it is necessary to appear neat, responsible and well-dressed. I can’t introduce him to anybody like this. The way I see him he might be smoking.”

The impact of not dressing well and responsibly can be grave. It can make you lose favour and opportunities. People will look at you with disdain, while you think you are being fashionable. It’s either they refer to you as a bad boy, rogue, miscreant or tout, no matter the level of your education.

In the case study above, it’s not only the day of the interview that you dress well, even though part of the assessment for an interview is dressing well. You must look clean, tidy and responsible every time because you don’t know who is watching. You don’t know who can recommend you either.

Avoid sagging. Avoid wearing clothes that reveal the sensitive parts of your body. Topless or sleeveless dresses, and unkempt hair among others can be your undoing in formal settings.