5/20/2024-On this day, jeans were born

Listen to your mom: "…don’t dress like a slob." At the same time, don’t be afraid to dress with personality. But definitely, dress like you can handle a big order from your customer.

On this day in 1873, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis were granted a patent for using copper rivets to strengthen certain areas of trousers, notably pocket corners. The patent gave rise to blue jeans.

Why is this important to you, style-forward seller?

Today’s jeans birthday is a good time to remember that your buyers make decisions about you based on everything from what comes out of your mouth, how you write your emails, and, yes, your appearance.

It’s time to remember the adage that "there’s no such thing as being over-dressed."

Rummage through your closet and get rid of the clothes that DON’T make you feel or look like a million bucks.

Donate the clothes that DON’T fit and frame you in a complimentary way. Style is style…but a bad fit will just make you look like a hobo. (Nobody wants to buy from a hobo, right?)

There’s nothing wrong with jeans, but just not every day.

"The clothes make the man."

It’s unclear who first uttered that adage. Still, interestingly, the proverb was first recorded in English in the early 15th century and was probably derived by a classical Greek saying, "The man is his clothing."

Years ago, it became fashionable in business to be UN-fashionable. It seemed the smartest folks were first to care less about how they looked. Eventually, all bets came off and now…anything goes.

But sales is one of the last professions where dress still matters. The legal and medical professions are similar. How would you feel if your surgeon visited you in shorts, a t-shirt, and flip-flops before your procedure?

When thinking about your attire for every day at your job – be it in the office or with the customer – shoot somewhere down the middle between your mom’s urging ("don’t dress like a slob") and your attorney friends who look sharp all the time.

Watch this guy in this Short as he puts together a look. Even though you’ll be wearing a different uniform, it’s fun to watch him create.

Let his enthusiasm rub off on you…pick it up a bit this week how you look and watch the respect for you grow.