Do "clothes make the man" or woman?

[BB5953]

Like I was taught many years ago about job interviews; 90% of first impressions are grooming, manners and dress and that first impression sticks for a very long time.

That applies to more than job interviews.

 

I work in HR and can agree to that but for me I seperate my work expectations from my social expectations. The great thing about cruisng is that their are so many people on board if you find yourelf not wanting to socailize with someone for whatever reason their are pleanty of others to choose from!

[Sky Sweet]

OK, I can understand this for something like a job interview where there is some possible future involved and perhaps hiring the right people would affect the company's living and all, but what possible reason do we have on cruises for forming "first impressions" about people? I'm not sure I understand the correlation. I may be missing something, but I figure "who cares!". I'm sure if we spent our week looking for the weaknesses in others we could find something wrong with everyone else and everyone else something wrong with us. What do we gain from that on a cruise?

 

I figure unless someone is doing something to physically harm me (like smoking in my face) I have no reason to care about what they are doing or wearing.

 

Of course, if they wear something really ugly I wouldn't want them in my pictures :rolleyes: ...

 

Tom

 

I agree that specific clothing for a job interview may be very different than on a cruise, but, in my opinion, basic principles such as being well groomed, dressing in an age appropriate manner, etc are universal.

[caviargal]

I absolutely do notice good grooming, pressed clothing, shined shoes, etc. It makes an initial favorable impression.

 

I also notice good manners, chivalry, a nice smile and conversational skills.

 

On the flip side, I notice wrinkled clothing, ill fitting clothing, sloppy footwear, poor grooming in general and poor manners. To me, that indicates a lack of self respect.

 

On a recent Carnival cruise, there was a woman at breakfast in the Libo wearing silk PJs, bedroom slippers and bedhead. She looked ridiculous. Her companion was in a robe. At dinner, there were men in tanks, shorts and ball caps in the dining room. Personally, it turned me off completely.

[hogwildcruzers]

Don't know what it is with the Carnival cruisers but the only Carnival ship I have been on was a fashion nighmare. Grown men wearing camo- overalls and John Deere caps and t-shirts everywhere on board, and some of this was at dinner. Not to say these were not good people, because they were, but come on people have a little class, that is part of the cruising experience.

[Karynanne]

Yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder...but dressing for success holds true also. I am a firm believer that when a person that isn't used to dressier attire, dons clothing that they usually wouldn't wear...they take on a whole new persona. You carry yourself differently, your attitude changes, and those around you react in a new manner.

I donate my business clothing and dressier clothes to an organization that was formed to help women get a new start. Sometimes you need to begin with the outside, before the inside takes over.

 

Karyn

[woodofpine]

Like I was taught many years ago about job interviews; 90% of first impressions are grooming, manners and dress and that first impression sticks for a very long time.

That applies to more than job interviews.

 

 

Ted Bundy took this to heart too! Many attribute Bundy's success to following this *****. Thank goodness he did his "cruising" ashore!

 

Personally, I enjoy keeping to the seafaring traditions dresswise. But I do like to wear decent bluejeans ashore when the weather's right.

[kitty9]

I think clothing also affects behavior and attitude. As a former teacher, when we didn't have a dress code for the kids, we had all sorts of problems with behavior. But once a dress code was in place, it was a whole different story. The kids just behaved better and had more respect for each other. I think this is the same for any social situation---the better you look, the better you feel and act.

[Smith0806]

On a cruise, I really don't care what people wear, just as long the do not have BO. On my cruise last summer I wore either khaki shorts or nike athletic shorts and T shirts and sandals during the day. On non-formal night dinners I wore a polo shirt and khaki pants. After dinner I went back and put on my jeans and sandals because that is what I was comfortable wearing. Maybe it is just me I dont judge someone by what they wear, an no I wouldn't walk to the other side if I saw a biker with chains.

[PAISANO]

I get up in the morning..shave, shower...put on clean clothes, go make sales calls. Why bother shave, shower, etc if we follow the "Touchy-feely" garbage of "don't judge others"...because my clients JUDGE me! AND I respect them and I have self respect!

 

"Ooooh, don't judge your fellow man" Garbage!

 

We all do it, all day long!

 

Don't tell me that if you are walking on a street and a BIG guy wearing a motorcyle jacket, jeans and a helmet, swinging a motorcyle chain over his head is walking towards you, that you don't consider moving to the other side of the street!

Or, do you keep walking towards him saying to yourself "Oh, I better not judge him"

 

Garbage!

 

People judge other people! It may be wrong, but it is human nature.

 

I have to say your comments struck me right here at home. You see

my DH is a paramedic, has been for many years. I can't tell you how many lives he has saved over the years. What I can tell you is that he has never once EVER judged a life by the way they were DRESSED!

Lets hope that our hospitals, doctors, etc. don't start judging people

by their dress. Someday someone in your family may need medical help

DM,DF,DS,DB, or God forbid one of your children. Thank God for our

emergency response teams. OH did I mention that my DH has a beard,

2 tatoos, and rides a Harley on his days off?:D

 

And by the way, I might also cross the street if I saw a guy swinging a motorcycle chain above his head wearing a TUX!

Good day to you.

[halos]

Yes...at first.

It's impossible not to come to a snap judgement about someone when you look at them,...it's not just clothing, but the way they speak or carry themselves as well.

That being said, there have been more times than not when my judgement of someone's 'look' turned out to be a poor judgement. I always wait for a final verdict after I have gotten to know someone. :)

[Jimsgirl]

I agree with Jerseygirl3, clothes do not have to be the most expensive, a formal gown I have always gets praise from other females, but it came from the local consignment store and cost $35. Looking " well groomed and put together " is the important thing.

 

Recently saw a couple of my neighbours "going out to eat", one wore a navy pant suit with a pink blouse, her hair was tidy,her make up "discreet" her bag was a small clutch. The other, was "orrible", her hair was in rollers, her lipstick was bright red and "gooey", she wore a too small tank tank, with "the world greatest grandmother " written on the chest of it, her flowered capri pants were also to tight for the bulging stomach and rear end,in her feet were flipflops.

 

Which would you rather have at your table?

[Sky Sweet]

I agree with Jerseygirl3, clothes do not have to be the most expensive, a formal gown I have always gets praise from other females, but it came from the local consignment store and cost $35. Looking " well groomed and put together " is the important thing.

 

Recently saw a couple of my neighbours "going out to eat", one wore a navy pant suit with a pink blouse, her hair was tidy,her make up "discreet" her bag was a small clutch. The other, was "orrible", her hair was in rollers, her lipstick was bright red and "gooey", she wore a too small tank tank, with "the world greatest grandmother " written on the chest of it, her flowered capri pants were also to tight for the bulging stomach and rear end,in her feet were flipflops.

 

Which would you rather have at your table?

 

Hi Jimsgirl :)

 

Your post is an excellent example of the point I tried to make about dressing in an age appropriate manner. I am 5'5" and only weigh 118 pounds, but never forget the fact that I am in my late fifties. Yet I have seen significantly overweight women in clothes that I wouldn't even think of wearing.

[usha]

Well, if I see someone dressed like a slob, I'm likely to think that maybe that person is a slob.

[Sky Sweet]

I was thinking something very similar. I work for the largest bio/pharma in the world and support the R&D function (Scientists, PhD and M.D.). These are some of the most brilliant scientists in the world and you wouldn't believe how they dress. It is truly a disaster! It would be a shame for someone to judge them on that and IMO a bit narrow minded considering the contribution these people make to the world.

 

However they do have commonsense and while they would be a fashion nightmare they wouldn't show up in jeans....

 

I am very close with quite a few scientific geniuses and agree that the latest fashion trends are not very important to them. However, I have found them to be very well groomed and concerned about being appropriately dressed.

[bulldogmom]

Don't you have to wonder what some people are thinking when they get out of bed in the morning?? I mean who cares if they care what other people say, they should have enough self respect for themselves to worry about what they are wearing and the way they present themselves

Someone can look like a slob even in a formal dress so I think it has as much to do with the way you take care of yourself as it does with what you are wearing. I totally agree with the previous posters who say that you can get nice clothes at cheap prices, nice and designer don't always go hand in hand. Just take a few minutes to make yourself presentable before you journey out into public.

I work in high management at a company that is internationally #1 in its field and I am allowed to wear whatever I want to work everyday. I regularly wear jeans, t-shirts, tennis shoes and sometimes even sweats. That being said my clothes are always clean, never wrinkled or stained, I don't stink and my hair is styled in some way. You can wear things that aren't technically "nice" and still be presentable. I wouldn't hesitate to meet with the owner of our company in anything I wear to work. You don't have to be in a 3-piece business suit to present yourself in a nice positive way.

I would never dream of wearing my "work" wear to a nice dinner though because in that situation my "work" wear wouldn't be presentable. You need to dress for the occasion.

If I saw someone at a nice restaurant or at dinner in the formal dining room in jeans, t-shirts, tank tops, shorts, tennis shoes etc.... would I form a negative opinion of them........sure I would. Now if I saw that same person in the same outifit getting off the ship in port would I form a negative opinion of them......nope, probably not. Who doesn't wear something cool and comfortable while doing activities like that, especially on a cruise to the Caribbean where temperatures are very warm.

This is just my opinion of course, everyone has a right to their own opinion.

With that being said I will leave you guys with one last thought (and I'm a big gal so I can say this LOL) Just because they make it in your size doesn't mean you need to wear it!!

 

[babylene]

I wanted to quote only one line from the previous post, but couldn't do it! I don't know why I got a "whole megillah"!!

 

 

It was that people could look like a slob even if they are dressed for the occasion. It brought a smile to my face as I remembered my sons in their school uniforms when they were little. By the end of the day, were those shirttails hanging out!!! Now, I know one adult male whose shirttails are always hanging out! It is amazing! Little boys are active so their shirts "move"..but a grown man??? (And he isn't the active type!!!) But we all know him and accept him as he is.

[2ladies]

Arlene - I can only pray that you are not referring to Peter!? However, if you are, there is a spare bed here in Florida that you may have to use!!!

[dspencer]

I enjoy making an effort for formal nights and like to see others that have too. Its lovely to see someone all co-ordinated, looking and feeling good.

Life as a wife and mother can be montonous and dull we need to have fun!

[babylene]

Roz..thanks for the offer!! But...wrong guy! This guy is no relation of mine! He must be oblivious! The truth is he has lots of problems...so he is forgiven!