Look Sharp Be Sharp Backed Up By Science — Dave’s Diary

Whatever happened to “look sharp BE sharp”?  The idea that you would dress for success is as dusty as the penny loafers in the back of the closet.    Casual Fridays have become casual weekdays in many offices across the country, especially as millennials begin to dominate the workplace.

A lot of old school suit-and-tie guys say the change isn’t for the best and now science has their well dressed backs.Time reports that researchers at Columbia University's Business School found that people who were dressed up were better at abstract thinking, making them more likely to think outside the box, make less-obvious connections and think about topics more broadly than did people who were dressed down.

Why does it happen? Being formally dressed creates what's called "social distance" since it's a less approachable look, and that sense of distance leads people to view a question or task from a greater distance too, which in turn causes more broad-based, abstract thought.

Being more formally dressed than others can also make people feel powerful, which also stimulates more broad-view, creative thought.