There is an unwritten rule that says you need to dress your age. While you don’t need to dress to look old, or matronly, it is wise to dress in an appropriate fashion for the types of places that you will be visiting, as well as for those areas that require you to look professional and responsible. There was a study done at a large Southern California university that concluded that we do perceive people to behave and act a certain way based on their style of dress. The study focused on two groups, the first dressed appropriately for the setting and their age, while the other group did not. They found that the group that was dressed properly tended to have higher company rankings, more income, and respected more. This is not to say that you can’t have fun with your style, but is it not a good idea to wear teeny-bopper styles in a corporate setting, and vice versa.
Some of the best ways to see if you are dressing right for your age is to take a look around, maybe check out a magazine, ask friends, or watch a fashion show. One of the biggest tip offs that you are not dressing for your age is when things do not fit right. When something is too tight it tends to look unflattering. Especially when you think, “this is what I used to wear in high school.” That is not always a good fashion trend to revert to, and your fashion choices should be reconsidered if this is how you feel.