Cation, You are growing and changing.
Ninety
although many important traits of your
character and personality are set, and
you probably have matured physically
to the point where you can determine
what type of clothing suits you best.
This is the right time to start planning
an integrated wardrobe of pieces that
will work well together — a valuable,
enjoyable learning experience.
TAKING STOCK
Ask yourself the following questions:
 Has my body size, weight, height, pro-
portion changed?
 Has my lifestyle changed?
 Has my attitude changed?
 Have my friends, school, or workplace
changed?
 What amount of time do I have to
devote to the upkeep of my ward-
robe?
 What are my monetary limitations?
 What impression do I want to make?
 Do I want to make any changes in my
current style?
 How can I express my
adaptation of the season's trends
without sacrificing my fashion
statement?
 Is there a role, or roles, I would enjoy
acting out through dressing as I seek
to discover varied facets of my
nature?
In order to create an image that you
want in the eyes of the beholder, you
must be able to convincingly and natu-
rally perform precisely those acts that
will create the desired image.
Wh e ne ver peo ple meet yo u , t he y
form an instant judgment, even if
it's on a subconscious level. This is
what is c a l l e d "first impression". This
is on a visual level and it crystallizes
even before you even open your mouth.
percent of that first impression is an
impression of your clothing. The
second impression is formed after you
utter your first sentence, which forms
the 10% of that first impression.
In those first crucial moments, the
viewer is forming that impression and
making decision concerning the follow-
ing factors:
1. Economic level — is he rich or
poor? Is he working or unemployed?
2. Educational level — Is he a high
school or college graduate? Maybe he
is an attorney or doctor'?
3. Social position — Does he live in
o ne o f the vi lla ges? Doe s he bel on g
to the upper socio-economic level
or the lower level?
4. Level of sophistication — Is he the
party-hopping type, the social register
type? Probably he is the "provinciano"
type.
5. Family background — What is his
social, educational, and economic heri-
tage? Assumptions about these are made.
What is the position of the family in
the community? Are they known by
their family names or not?
6. Successfulness — Is he successful?
Does he have a car, a house and lot?
Is he important in his company? Is he
known by his business associates and
peers?
7. Moral character — Does he look
honest? Is he the type who will put one
over others? Will he cheat me?
You may protest. That's unfair! You
can't judge a book by its cover! But you
do! Over the years, you've learned to
read a person's clothing, appearance,
expressions, and gestures. It's a silent
language, a visual shorthand, and it
helps you form decisions about t h e
other person's honesty, background ,
friendliness, attitude, and in te n t. You
may not be aware you are making
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