When dreading another dreary and monotonous office day when the shrill ring of the alarm jerks you awake, struggling to keep your legs from giving in, rubbing your eyes to drive sweet slumber away, your outfit might be the last thing on your mind. But if you’re wearing something uncomfortable, how will it affect your thinking and what will people around you think about your ensemble.

You are how you dress. Wearing the right clothes can boost your confidence, make you more productive. And sometimes wearing bright colors can help you close more sales deals.

Imagine this. You’re planning to appear for an exam that requires analytical thinking or you’re going to the office where you need to stay glued to your computer all day. What will you wear? How about if you have an important meeting with your boss, will you appear in a Bermuda and a picnic shirt? I guess not.

Frankly, neither your colleagues nor will your boss care much about what you wear to work each day. Well, in most cases. But on the bright side, do you know that wearing certain clothes can boost your productivity?

A study by Cody Delistraty revealed that “Wearing different clothes can influence your analytical skills.” In another study by Abraham M. Rutchick – a professor at California university revealed that wearing formal clothes at a test gave students more room to think analytically and empowered them to give correct answers.

Here are some science-backed tips which can help you make better choices for clothes at work:

Stay Focused with Natural Colors

A study revealed that formal clothes not only help people think properly, they help them look at the bigger picture of the problem at hand. Furthermore, a study also concludes that wearing natural colors like restful Green and calming Blue improves focus and efficiency at work.

A recent research at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University has concluded that candidates who wore a lab coat during the experiment are found to be more alert, focused, and kinder towards their fellow-people. Of course, you cannot start wearing lab coats at work. But surely you can wear formal clothes with natural colors to create the same impact.

Successful People Wear Formal Suits at work

Suits are not just limited to interviews. Of course, dressing officially for an interview can instill a heightened sense of confidence in candidates, but wearing it to work can help people make better financial decisions. Which means that even if you don’t want to wear a suit to work, do carry one, and before you make an important financial decision, don it on and see how it alters your thinking pattern.

Plain T-Shirts make men Appear more attractive

Science suggests that wearing plain t-shirts make men 10% more attractive than when worn by women. Men are found to be more attractive and can get things done easily when they wear white t-shirts, or when they fold their sleeves up while at work.

At work, colleagues judge your attractiveness and wellbeing by what you are wearing. Research has shown that vertically striped shirts make people feel thinner. I guess this is a good choice for women who are conscious about their health and what people think about them.

Give your career a boost with The Red Sneakers Effect

If you want to be successful, do what successful people do.

Regardless of all the strict dress codes that people follow at work, Mark Zuckerberg likes to dress casually in a hoodie and jeans at the office.  The scientists dub it ‘The Red Sneakers Effect,’ which basically translates into the fact that adorning luxury gym apparel rather than formal clothes at the office can make a difference in the thought process. Just like mark, Steve Jobs used to wear jeans and t-shirt while launching a new product which made him feel more confident.

Choosing the right Shoe at work

We have always been taught to wear shoes since they protect our feet. Well, it is partly true. The other part. The most important part that we overlook is that ‘choosing the right/wrong shoes at work can affect your performance in the long run.

On average, a human takes around 8,000 – 10,000 steps a day and most of them accumulate at the office. If you wear ill-fitted shoes, how will you perform well? While wearing flip-flops might not be a prudent choice for work, but once you enter the office premises, you can wear whatever makes your feet comfortable.

There are real-life repercussions of wearing the wrong shoes. It is better to be prepared than let your feet host a bunch of problems just because you were busy following a strict corporate code. For me, I can be more creative in my slippers than joggers or formal shoes, which make my toes itch. You might feel the same, or not. But the main point is to wear something which makes you feel at home.

To wrap it all up

Your official wardrobe determines the success of your business to some extent. This includes your choice of clothing when you meet with a client. Just as the right clothes can leave a positive impact, wearing weird clothes can drive people away. Wear clothes that feel comfortable to you and look good on you.

Oh, btw, your clothes alone won’t make you productive. However, TaskQue is an app which can make your work productive and help you complete projects on-time.