Best route to career success is to dress like your boss

CLIMBING the corporate ladder isn’t just about putting in the hours and hitting targets. According to new research, the secret of getting ahead in the workplace is simple: dress like your boss.

The study discovered a majority of managers (68 percent) had heightened awareness of staff with a similar style to them. They also said such colleagues “gained brownie points”.

The study suggests the old adage, “dress for the job you want, not the one you’ve got”, has an element of truth. This has led to a new office trend of “work twins” – something that Debenhams, which carried out the survey, says came up as a common feature in British workplaces.

The survey of 2 000 employees showed that six in 10 (61 percent) thought that dressing like their colleagues created a better team spirit and a higher level of productivity.

Karen Pine, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire, said: “Humans tend to be drawn to people who are like them, since difference can be perceived as threatening. People feel safer when they dress alike. They are signalling their need to belong to the group. A team that chooses the same style of dress for work is indicating their cohesiveness.

“Bosses often appoint and promote people who are like them. Boards are renowned for electing members who resemble existing ones. Clothes are a shorthand for who we are and what we are like.” – Daily Mail