Dressing up and more, to make it in business
“Fake it, till you make it”, some people say that as if it's a bad thing.

Dermot O'Leary says that when he turns up to work in a suit and tie his colleagues should be wary of his attempts to be professional as he probably has a hangover.

And when Superman puts on his red underwear over his blue tights he is still Clark Kent but when dressed he sends the message that he's not to be messed with.

And I've done all these things except the red pants. Dressed to appear in a state that I'm not, and put on appearances (clothes, boots, socks) to make me appear something that i'm not (yet).

It's interesting to me that I've used outward appearances to put myself in a new mental state and to play a role, whether that was to be professional, international, successful, young, urban, professor, older, wiser. You name it, I've worn that disguise.

I've disguised my actual state which might have been insecure, uncertain, hungover, tired, poor, failed, confused, excited. All of which can be hidden by putting on a decent pair of shoes.

And I've also dressed aspirationally, that is dressed as the person that I want to become, whether that is a successful businessman, a investment prospect, a bright young thing, or a wise, safe pair of hands.

I have dressed with intent.

The clothes can be the same as my everyday clothes, they may fulfil multiple personas, and often the resulting effect is only seen by me. But the results I produce are seen by everyone.

It's not just clothes that I have used to get me to a different space. It's also the different places, venues, and work spaces that I have purposefully chosen to get me mentally to another plane.

I've written before about falling out-of-love with the apparel industry because they can dress so badly, but my journey around London's north Soho has helped me select The Riding House Café as my money'd, sharp wheeler-dealer, the Victoria and Albert Members Room as my cultured educated persona, and here at Ozone in Shoreditch as my true entrepreneurial inspiration.

So I'm proud to have faked it till I made it. To have put on my smart suit to smarten up my act and put my invincible pants to shrug off the bad guys and save the world.

How have you disguised yourself to success? Let me know in the comments below.

If you'd like to chat about the work shirt you need to put on, book a slot Choose your best time