The Relationship Between Clothes And First Impressions: Benefits And Adverse Effects On The Individual

Abstract

Abstract: Because light travels quicker than sound, people are seen before they are heard. That is why, even before a person utters a word their appearance tells a much about them in terms of their competence, perceived level of intelligence, affability, self-esteem, self-confidence, success, authority and beliefs. This qualitative study aims at exploring the basis on which people form first impressions of personalities they meet based on their clothes. A total of 31 respondents were purposively selected to participate in the study. Data was collected through interviews. The results of the study indicated that people form first impressions based on their moral inclinations, economic, non-conformance to current fashion, health, fashion changes and much more. The investigation supported findings of earlier studies that clothing and first impressions are related.
Keywords: First impression, clothing, fashion

Full text

Page 229
www.ijiras.com | Email: contact@ijiras.com
International Journal of Innovative Research and Advanced Studies (IJIRAS)
Volume 3 Issue 12, November 2016
ISSN: 2394-4404
The Relationship Between Clothes And First Impressions: Benefits
And Adverse Effects On The Individual
Joana Akweley Adotey
Tamale Polytechnic, School of Applied Sciences,
Department of Fashion Design and Modelling,
Tamale Polytechnic, Tamale, NR
Elizabeth Obinnim
Ho Polytechnic, Faculty of Art and Design,
Head of Department (HOD) and Lecturer,
Department of Fashion Design and Textiles, Ho, Volta
Region, Ghana
Ninette A. Pongo
University of Education,
Winneba College of Technology Education, Kumasi,
Lecturer - Department of Fashion Design and Textiles
Education, Kumasi, Ghana
I. INTRODUCTION
It is never possible to wear clothes without transmitting
some form of signal. Substantial research has established the
significance of first impressions and at the same time
examining a diversity of circumstances that contribute to their
formation. For example, Naumann et al. (2009), found that
factors ranging from clothing style to posture, play a vital role
in how impressions are formed. Morris (1977) affirms that
„every costume tells a story, often a very subtle one, about its
wearer‟ (p. 213). As Ngo & Smith (2013) rightly points out,
clothing preserves history embraces traditions and connects
many generations collectively. Possessing the ability to
communicate non-verbally, clothing conveys an image and
transmits some message regarding its wearer to observe.
Consequently, clothing can create first impressions for
onlookers. Anytime we meet someone; we form first
impressions.
First impressions are all initial evaluations based on
nonverbal communication signals. A range of investigations
conducted by Willis & Todorov (2006) shows that it takes
approximately about a tenth of a second to form an opinion of
a stranger‟s appearance and that not even prolonged can
substantially alter those impressions. In a flicker of an eye,
people take an insignificant sample of an individual and
believe it represents 100 percent of their personality. They
then decide based on that to trust them, like them or want to
maintain interaction with them. Research has confirmed that
people make a comparatively accurate assessment based on
rapid observations of less than half a minute (Nauert 2009).
An individual must demonstrate they are honest, trustworthy
or decent with nonverbal communication (in this instance
Abstract: Because light travels quicker than sound, people are seen before they are heard. That is why, even before a
person utters a word their appearance tells a much about them in terms of their competence, perceived level of
intelligence, affability, self-esteem, self-confidence, success, authority and beliefs. This qualitative study aims at exploring
the basis on which people form first impressions of personalities they meet based on their clothes. A total of 31
respondents were purposively selected to participate in the study. Data was collected through interviews. The results of the
study indicated that people form first impressions based on their moral inclinations, economic, non-conformance to
current fashion, health, fashion changes and much more. The investigation supported findings of earlier studies that
clothing and first impressions are related.
Keywords: First impression, clothing, fashion

Page 230
www.ijiras.com | Email: contact@ijiras.com
International Journal of Innovative Research and Advanced Studies (IJIRAS)
Volume 3 Issue 12, November 2016
ISSN: 2394-4404
clothing) in one tenth of a second or interaction may be
terminated.
It is widely acknowledged that whenever people
encounter each other for the first time, they know very little or
nothing at all about each other. However, Gille & Mittag
(2008) found a correlation between clothes and perceptions of
intelligence. They did this by examining conservative and
provocative dressing of female students. Gille & Mittag's
findings suggest that females who dressed provocatively were
perceived to be less intelligent than those who dressed
conservatively. Inferring among other things that, females who
clothed themselves conservatively inspired a positive image of
intelligence. However, dressing provocatively demonstrated
unprecedented levels of self-expression, freedom and exposure
to sexuality. Furthermore, Lightstone et al. (2011) assert that
students perceive higher education lecturers wearing informal
or semi-formal garment to be less credible that ones in formal
clothes.
So what precisely are first impressions? These ordinarily
imply the way people perceive others for the first time by
applying assumptions to some characteristics that the
individual has. Admittedly, first impression according to
Hubbard (1994) contributes to how an individual respond to
another or the type of relationship that will advance between
them. As Miller-Spillman et al. (2012) specify, people‟s
clothes, or their particular ways of dressing, may influence
others assessment of them.
A first impression is simply defined as a consideration or
judgment. In psychology, a first impression according to Flora
(2004), is the event when an individual first encounters
another individual and forms a mental picture of that person.
Impression accuracy differs depending on the perceiver and
the target being perceived. When an individual encounters
somebody for the first time, they automatically form an
impression of that person. These first impressions are based on
a series of attributes such as; gender, age, culture, physical
appearance, posture, voice, and especially the way the person
is clothed. These impressions are made from the way the
individual is composed or clothed (Bhargrave & Montgomery
2013; Biesanz et al. 2011; Forsyth et al. 1985). The first
impressions created by people can to a large extent influence
how they are perceived and consequently treated in many
circumstances of daily life (Wood 2014).
In an environment that is currently controlled by the
multimedia, the possibility of personalities being judged based
on glimpses of their looks is unavoidable. Dating websites,
social networking, and other online systems feature people's
images and subsequently convey a visual message. Although
some facial features are prominent and well documented as
aiding in the formation of first impressions, other factors, such
as clothing, also play a crucial part in impression formation.
Garments in many ways can communicate a comprehensive
and multifaceted information about an individual, without the
observer having to meet or interact with the wearer. Todorov
et al. (2009) assert that a person's garment has been shown to
transmit qualities such as personality, affability, competence
and intelligence, with first impressions being formed in a
fraction of a second.
According to Damhorst (1990) „dress is a systematic
means of transmission of information about the wearer‟ (p. 1).
A person's preference for a particular clothing can profoundly
affect the impression they convey and are, consequently, an
effective communication tool. The increasing significance of
clothes is apparent. Admittedly, a person's clothes play a
major role in transmitting an impression; this may be positive
or negative, and this affects the way people perceive each
other. McCracken (1988) is of the view that clothing conveys
cultural significance and that the message is transferred from
the "culturally constructed world” to garments, through
publicity and fashion. Apparel designers may, through
branding and marketing, relate a new style or specific designs
with an instituted cultural standard. Nevertheless, how
successful a design is in communicating a message is
contingent on the knowledge of the public. As McCracken &
Roth (1989) specifies, the influence of clothing
communication relies on some principles. These principles
represent the understanding regarding social and cultural
norms that members of a community or social groups share.
The more people appreciate the code; the more adequate the
clothing will be at communicating a message. However, there
remains a pertinent issue concerning the type of garment
features that make an impact on first impressions.
Naumann et al. (2009) indicate that clothing
communicates a variety of personality, professional and
cultural functions. Hence, clothing has been confirmed to
express accurate impressions of a personality. Johnson et al.
(2002) explored the specific items that informed respondents‟
first impressions. Their findings indicated that clothing, type
of suit, shoes, colour and fit of garments constituted the basis
on which the observers based their assessments.
Again, Behling & Williams (1991) and Behling (1995)
affirm that educators‟ assessments of student's intelligence,
academic ability and behaviour are all affected by the
students‟ clothing. In addition to communicating individual
attributes, such as sociability and cognitive abilities, Damhorst
(1990), emphasises that clothing carry a message that people
utilise to make assumptions regarding others‟ personality.
Garments have also been proved to promote the wearer's
self‐perception on a spectrum of work relevant attributes. For
instance, Kwon (1994) interviewed respondents on the impact
of clothing on assessments made in a working environment.
Males held stronger views than females regarding the
influence of appropriate clothing in a professional setting.
Males believed that wearing the right work attire
improved the possibility of communicating intelligence,
competence, honesty and reliability. Reinforcing this point,
Bell (1991) established perceptions of men dressed in four (4)
different styles of clothing – daring, conservative, formal and
casual – on dimensions of charm, intelligence and reputation.
Any design variation conveyed a definite information resulting
in a complex combination of character traits. The formally
clothed males had positive evaluations – charming, smart and
successful – while the casually attired males earned the least
commendatory impression – unattractive, ignorant and
obnoxious. Albeit fascinating, the influence global fashion
innovations have on an individual‟s judgment is extraordinary,
granted that the variations in garments are essentially striking
and very much enlightening.
Though the impacts of clothing changes on first
impressions have remained the core interest of current studies,

Page 231
www.ijiras.com | Email: contact@ijiras.com
International Journal of Innovative Research and Advanced Studies (IJIRAS)
Volume 3 Issue 12, November 2016
ISSN: 2394-4404
the methodological constraints have restricted the
establishment of precise outcomes. In presenting visual stimuli
to participants, they either did not employ actual samples, did
not experiment individual perception or did not disguise facial
information while displaying garments on models. In several
real‐world conditions, first impressions are formed within a
pretty short period, usually in a matter of seconds; therefore,
there is a need for validity in an empirical investigation such
as this; hence, the effort should be made to replicate such
studies.
First impressions are formed of others every day, and this
is done rapidly and effortlessly. As Olivola & Todorov (2010)
put it, complex assessments are made based on clothes in less
than a second. For instance, judgements regarding whether a
person is honest or not can be made in a fraction of a second
(Todorov et al. 2009). Furthermore, these assessments are
usually consistent with those formed even after long periods of
engagement. Bar et al. (2006) suggested that development
may have equipped us with such prompt evaluation tools since
inferences about potentially dangerous issues are formed more
rapidly and consistently than other less threatening situations.
These immediate impressions according to Willis &
Todorov (2006) can guide peoples‟ assumptions regarding the
attributes a person has. These may include their attractiveness,
likeability, competence and aggressiveness A wide range of
complex decisions, from the choice of a partner to which
candidate to vote for in an election, are profoundly affected by
appearance (clothes). A significant amount of information is
juxtaposed to form these impressions, and it can be
convincingly argued that subtle manipulations of clothing
affect these impressions. Again, some of these assessments
can be influenced by the characteristics of the perceiver.
As McCracken & Roth (1989) asserts, assessment of
others, are frequently made relative to self, as well as a
person's own status. Consequently, in investigations such as
these, it is necessary to consider the incomes of respondents
since it can play an essential part in the judgements of others
based on their clothing. For instance, when the target clothing
is a suit, forming an accurate opinion may be different for
higher income respondents whose occupation affords them
greater familiarity with this style of clothing. Also, as Oliver
et al. (1993) emphasise, couture suit patrons are likely to work
in high-level professional jobs that attract higher salary.
The field of social psychology has a vast literature related
to person perception, attribution, categorization, and
impression formation (Davis & Lennon 1988; Gilovich, et al.
2011). However, how garments are utilised in forming
impressions and making attributions about individuals has
great implications for understanding and challenging
prejudice. This study, therefore, attempts to explore the
contribution of fashion clothing on first impressions and its
benefits or otherwise of an individual.
II. METHODOLOGY
First impressions are subjective because they based on
individual perception and preferences. Qualitative research
approach was used to determine how individuals react to other
people with whom they are not familiar with or during their
first meeting. The approach was selected given the fact as
Farber (2006) pointed out, qualitative approaches are used
when researchers want to add richness or thick descriptions to
their findings. The Kumasi metropolis was chosen as the
scope of the study. The Metropolis is located centrally in the
Ashanti Region, with a population of about 2,035,064
inhabitants (GSS, 2014) and the 9 sub-metros within its
Metropolis fuelled the selection of Kumasi as the study area.
The population of the study covered all inhabitants of the
Kumasi Metropolis. The sample population was then limited
to three suburban areas of the Metropolis. A total of 31
respondents were purposively selected to participate in the
study. Data was collected through interviews from selected
subjects of the study. The interviews were recorded and
transcribed, which was subsequently used to support the
analysis of the study.
III. FINDINGS
„He looks friendly, I can tell she is an extrovert, she might
be from a wealthy home, he is not my type, she looks efficient,
she might be a Christian‟; all these are snap assessments we
make about people mostly based on the clothes they wear.
There is much more to people‟s clothing choices than they
might imagine. For many, what they wear is simply a matter
of habit, but it pays to be more cautious about our garment
choices. Wearing the appropriate clothes at the appropriate
time to the appropriate occasion might change the first
impression others have of you.
Conventional wisdom holds that whenever people meet
for the first time, they know close to nothing or very little
about each other. As people dress up for to carry out their
normal activities, they leave trails of impressions and
dispositions with people they meet. Many people including
psychologists think it is all to do with facial features.
However, latest research has revealed that clothes make a
huge difference to these first impressions. That
notwithstanding, when respondents were asked about things
that influence their first impressions about people the
following themes emerged;
A. MORAL VALUES
People form their impressions based on their moral
inclinations. Individuals with high moral standards have high
tendencies of having their first impressions about people they
meet for the first time influenced by their moral values than
those with low moral standards. The responses show that the
majority of individuals find people who dress indecently as
being immoral whereas people who are decently dressed are
characterised as being morally upright. Selected responses
have been given below;
“…from that perspective am able to tell whether the
person is of high morals, well bread, decent and well-groomed
and it is the person‟s outlook that will make you see…”
The respondent was, however, quick to add that;
“…for women, when they wear very short dresses, wild
makeups and the kind of high heels (footwear) that she is
wearing, determines her pattern of walking, bangles on the

Page 232
www.ijiras.com | Email: contact@ijiras.com
International Journal of Innovative Research and Advanced Studies (IJIRAS)
Volume 3 Issue 12, November 2016
ISSN: 2394-4404
feet and hands; nobody will tell you that she might be a street
girl or she is coming from a bad home. Some even expose
parts of their breasts and other vital parts of their bodies and
when I see that I only tell myself she‟s advertising herself. For
the boys, I see you and right away from the way you are
dressed I suspect whether you are a playboy or a gentleman.”
B. ECONOMIC STANDING
Again, under the economic theme, the results showed that
respondents are able to form first impressions in terms of the
economic standing of the individual based on the individual‟s
appearance. That notwithstanding, some of the respondents
sounded the caution that this is highly deceptive because
people have taken undue advantage and swindled people
because they know people think highly of and trusted
individuals who were well dressed or appear good. Below are
some of the responses;
“…you see when people dress well; it tells you they are
able to afford the best of apparels for themselves, and you
know the kind of dresses that moves are very expensive.
Hence, if someone is seen in a very sharp suit with nice tie or
even just casual wear, but drives the latest car in town or use
the most sophisticated mobile phone it tells you something.”
“…Yea! normally when I meet people for the first time I
look at their appearance and from that, I tell myself this guy
has money or not. You know rich guys portray themselves in a
certain standing, so when you meet them, you can see it. Nice
watch, well ironed outfit with a little swag nice hair cut to fit
the face you can tell; they keep themselves well. However,
when you are shabbily dressed, unkempt hair, wow I know
right from the word go you are struggling just like me haha!”
Others were just cautious about drawing impressions
about people regarding their economic standing based on their
appearance;
“…normally it is difficult to tell because people do not
walk about with their bank account details on their foreheads
so for me, I don‟t get the impression of whether someone is
well to do or not based on their appearance. This is because it
can be dangerously deceptive. I know people who borrow
clothing from their friends so they can also look good, so you
can‟t actually base on that…”
“…Hmm! I have fallen victim to swindlers who came in
sheep clothing but were in wolves‟ clothes. Nicely dressed,
soft spoken; so, I thought they were in good standing
financially to pay for these products I sell and it was the first
time of seeing them in the area. I guess I didn‟t reason
properly because it was after they‟d left the shop that I
realised I‟ve acted foolishly…up till now nobody has shown
up…”
C. NON-CONFORMING
When asked, most of the respondents agreed to the fact
that sometimes they form their first impressions based on the
current trends of fashion. However, some believe that
individuals who do not necessarily follow fashion trends are
self-made individuals. The responses give the impression that
first impressions are mostly formed on the basis of what is
trending and by that assertion are able to tell whether the
individual is out of touch with fashion, current or are just
autonomous.
These findings collaborate Bellezza et al. (2014) assertion
that persons who deliberately wear nonconforming clothes
appear to have higher status and competence. Over a range of
laboratory and field investigations, Bellezza and her
colleagues discovered that nonconforming clothes could give
the impression that the wearer has competence and higher
status. According to the authors, observers bestowed greater
status and competence to nonconformity compared to
conformity since they believe that the nonconforming person
has the necessary level of autonomy to pursue his/her own
inclinations and endure the cost of deviating from the norm.
One respondent noted that;
“When I see you, I can tell whether you are old fashioned
or current, but that is always difficult to do because of late
things come and go quickly. So if you are not careful, you
might pass wrong impressions about people…”
“…Oh! occasionally you meet someone, and you can tell
by their appearance that they enjoy trendy fashion. Some of
them are really awkward, but you can tell from their
confidence that they like it…”
D. HARMFUL TO HEALTH
Regarding first impressions in terms of fashion traits that
are harmful to health, respondents think of the kind of harm
individuals are causing themselves by appearing in some kind
of fashion behaviours. Selected responses from the
respondents are outlined below;
“…Yea that is true especially the ladies who bleach their
skin. They are only causing harm to themselves because I hear
the chemicals are very harmful…”
Another was quick to state that;
“When you look at the ladies at church, wearing shoes
with long heels you just get the impression they might be
hurting themselves because in no time they will develop knee
and waist pains…”
E. FASHION VICTIM
Also, in forming their first impressions, respondents
regard people who wear very fashionable clothes even though
it makes them look awkward. One respondent put it as
follows;
“…some of the ladies follow fashion blindly. Anything
that comes, they want to try it even if looks so bad on them.
They do not think about their shape, whether it is „coca cola‟
or „voltic‟ bottle shape they just pick anything and put on…”
F. FASHION CHANGES
Fashion is dynamic and notoriously transient, so people
either get in-tune or out-dated with it. In that regard when
respondents were asked about their first impressions in terms
of fashion changes, most of them maintained they are able to
tell whether the fellow is in tune with current trends of fashion
or not. However, some of them indicated they pay less
attention to this because it does not really have any significant

Page 233
www.ijiras.com | Email: contact@ijiras.com
International Journal of Innovative Research and Advanced Studies (IJIRAS)
Volume 3 Issue 12, November 2016
ISSN: 2394-4404
effect on how they see the person. Selected responses have
been given below;
“Yes of course, of late people dress to kill just to show
that they are on top. We see that all the time, sometimes I meet
people for the first time and am able to tell this guy is current
because I watch television and celebrities a lot and I know
what they wear…”
“…for me it doesn‟t really tickle me whether he/she is
current or not with changing fashion because that won‟t
change the way I relate to the person. If I have to deal with
him/her and that is the most important thing, then I can
actually overlook that, because people come in different
shapes if you let yourself loose hmm you are in trouble…”
G. THE IMPACT OF HOW PEOPLE DEAL WITH
OTHERS BASED ON THEIR FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Reference
Mean Rank
Freq. (n)
Approachability
5.30
31
Openness
5.11
31
Trustworthiness
4.80
31
Self-esteem
4.78
31
Attractive
4.76
31
Youthfulness
4.67
31
Dominance
4.49
31
Kendall‟s Wa=.055, χ2=(8)155.284, Sig=.001
Table 1: Kendall‟s Wa mean ranking of the impacts of first
impressions
Kendall‟s mean ranking was carried out to determine how
people relate to others based on their first impressions.
Respondents were given a list after their interviews to select
from, relative to how they relate to people based on their first
impressions. From table 1, it could be perceived that
respondents find people they meet more approachable with a
mean of (m=5.30) hence ranked 1st on the mean rank.
Additionally, with a mean of 5.11 the respondents find people
they meet to be open. Furthermore, with a mean of 4.80 the
respondents find the people they meet to be trustworthy.
However, the least impression respondents have about people
they meet for the first time is dominance (m=4.49) hence
ranked last in the ranking order. Kendall‟s coefficient of
concordance statistics shows that there was statistically
significant degree of agreement among the learners, however,
the degree of agreement, however, was found to be low with
(Wa=.055, χ2=(8)155.284, p<.05). From the discoveries, it
can be concluded that from the first impressions; respondents
find people more approachable.
IV. CONCLUSION
It is adequately documented that individuals can form
quick opinions, with much accuracy, and can do so from a
single meeting (see Olivola & Todorov, 2010). These first
impressions are mostly based on visual cues such as clothing.
In particular, the study suggests that people form their first
impressions based on their moral inclinations, economic, non-
conformance to current fashion, health, fashion changes and
much more. These were evidenced by their responses to
questions posed to them and the responses given. These they
indicated impacts the ways they see them in terms of
approachability, openness, trustworthiness, self-esteem,
attractiveness and youthfulness among others. These they also
specified influenced the way they perceived and relate to
them.
V. RECOMMENDATIONS
Clothes play a vital role in forming first impressions, and
since this may impact positively or negatively on the
individual, it is important to choose clothes carefully because
people make different assumptions and take decisions about
individuals without proper evidence. Dressing appropriately to
impress is worthwhile and can indeed be the answer to
recognition, acceptance and success.
REFERENCES
[1] Bar, M., Neta, M. & Linz, H. (2006). Very first
impressions. Emotion, 6(2), 269‐78.
[2] Behling, D. U. & Williams, E. A. (1991). Influence of
dress on perception of intelligence and expectations of
scholastic achievement. Clothing and Textiles Research
Journal, 9(4), 1‐7.
[3] Behling, D. U. (1995). Influence of dress on perception of
intelligence and scholastic achievement in urban schools
with minority populations. Clothing and Textiles
Research Journal, 13(1), 11‐16.
[4] Bell, E. L. (1991). Adult's perception of male garment
styles. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 10(1),
8‐12.
[5] Bellezza, S., Gino, F & Keinan, A. (2014). The Red
Sneakers Effect: Inferring Status and Competence from
Signals of Nonconformity. Journal of Consumer
Research 41(1), 35–54.
[6] Bhargrave, R. & Montgomery, N. V. (2013). The social
context of temporal sequences: Why first impressions
shape shared experiences. Journal of Consumer
Research. 40(3), 501–517.
[7] Biesanz, J. C., Human, L. J., Paquin, A.-C., Chan, M.,
Parisotto, K. L., Sarracino, J., & Gillis, R. L. (2011). Do
we know when our impressions of others are valid?
Evidence for realistic accuracy awareness in first
impressions of personality. Social Psychological and
Personality Science, 2 (5), 452-459.
[8] Damhorst, M. L. (1990). In search of a common thread:
classification of information communicated by dress.
Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 8(2), 1‐12.
[9] Davis, L. L. & Lennon, S. J. (1988). Social cognition and
the study of clothing and human behaviour. Social
Behaviour and Personality, 16(2), 175-9186.
[10] Farber, N.K., (2006). Conducting Qualitative Research: A
Practical Guide for School Counsellors. Professional
School Counselling, 9(5), 367-375. Available at:
http://ezproxy.lib.ucf.edu/login?URL=http://search.ebsco
host.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ74348
6&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Page 234
www.ijiras.com | Email: contact@ijiras.com
International Journal of Innovative Research and Advanced Studies (IJIRAS)
Volume 3 Issue 12, November 2016
ISSN: 2394-4404
[11] Flora, C. (2004). The once over you can trust: First
impressions. Psychology Today, 37 (3), 60-64.
[12] Forsythe, S., Drake, M. F. & Cox, C. E. (1985). Influence
of Applicant‟s Dress on Interviewer‟s Selection
Decisions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 70 (2), 374-
378.
[13] Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), 2014. 2010 Population
and Housing Census, District Analytical Report. Ghana
Statistical Service.
[14] Gille-Knauf, T. R. and Mittag, R. M. (2008). Smart and
Sexy? Major and Clothing‟s Influence on Perceptions of
Intelligence. UW-L Journal of Undergraduate Research
XI, 1-9.
[15] Gilovich, T., Keltner, D. & Nisbett, R. E. (2011). Social
psychology (2nd edn.). New York: W. W. Norton &
Company.
[16] Guadagno, R. E., & Cialdini, R. B. (2007). Gender
differences in impression management in organisations: A
qualitative review. Sex Roles, 56, 483–494.
[17] Harn, S. P. (2015). Kabas & Couture: Contemporary
Ghanaian Fashion. Museum of Art, Gainesville:
University of Florida.
[18] Hubbard, J. (1994). What‟s in the face: Correlations of
Self, Spouse, and Stranger Ratings of Personality. Report
for College Course “PSYCH 96: Independent Project”
thesis, Macalester College.
[19] Johnson, K. K. P., Schofield, N. A. & Yurchisin,
J. (2002). Appearance and dress as a source of
information: a qualitative approach to data
collection. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 20(3),
125‐37.
[20] Kwon, Y. H. (1994). The influence of appropriateness of
dress and gender on the self-perception of occupational
attributes. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 12(3),
33-39.
[21] Lightstone, K., Francis, R., & Kocum, L. (2011).
University Faculty Style of Dress and Students Perception
of Instructor Credibility. International Journal of
Business & Social Science, 2(15), 15-22.
[22] McCracken, G. D. & Roth, V. J. (1989). Does clothing
have a code? Empirical findings and theoretical
implications in the study of clothing as a means of
communication. International Journal of Research in
Marketing, 6(1), 13‐33.
[23] McCracken, G. D. (1988). Culture and Consumption:
New Approaches to the Symbolic Character of Consumer
Goods and Activities, Indiana University
Press, Bloomington, IN.
[24] Miller-Spillman K. A., Reilly, A. & Hunt-Hurst, P.
(2012). The Meanings of Dress. 3rd edition. New York:
Fairchild Publications.
[25] Morris, D. (1977). Man-watching: A field guide to human
behaviour. New York: Harry N. Abrams.
[26] Nauert, R. (2009). Brain Response to First Impressions.
Psych Central News. Psych Central-Trusted mental
health, depression, bipolar, ADHD and psychology
information.
[27] Naumann, L. P., Vazire, S., Rentfrow, P. J., & Gosling, S.
D. (2009). Personality judgments based on physical
appearance. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,
35, 1661–1671.
[28] Ngo, O. & Smith, K. (2013). The relationship between the
first impression that dress creates and college students‟
reactions toward it. The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers
College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.
[29] Olguin, M.K. & Stankus, T. (2011). Dressing Like We
Mean It. Information Outlook, 15(2), 8-11.
[30] Olivola, C. Y. & Todorov, A. (2010). Fooled by first
impressions? Re‐examining the diagnostic value of
appearance‐based inferences. Journal of Experimental
Social Psychology, 46(2), 315‐24.
[31] Paek, S. L. (1986). Effect of garment style on the
perception of personal traits. Clothing and Textiles
Research Journal, 5(1), 10‐16.
[32] Raki, T., Steffens, M. C., & Mummendey, A. (2011).
When it matters how you pronounce it: The influence of
regional accents on job interview outcome. British
Journal of Psychology, 102, 868–883.
[33] Todorov, A., Pakrashi, M. & Oosterhof, N. N. (2009).
Evaluating faces on trustworthiness after minimal time
exposure. Social Cognition, 27(6), 813‐33.
[34] Uleman, J. S., Saribay, S. A., & Gonzalez, C. M. (2008).
Spontaneous inferences, implicit impressions, and
implicit theories. Annual Review of Psychology, 59, 329–
360.
[35] Wargo, E. (2006). How Many Seconds to a First
Impression? Observer, Association for Psychological
Science, 19(7).
[36] Willis, J. & Todorov, A. (2006). First impressions:
Making up your mind after 100 ms exposure to a face.
Psychological Science (17), 592–598.
[37] Wood, T. J. (2014). Exploring the role of first impressions
in rater-based assessments. Advances in Health Sciences
Education. 19 (3), 409–427.