Does dressing well make you more productive when working? Hattie Beazley thinks so, and gives us her take on how to look smart to think smart.
With deadlines looming, the library has become everybody’s best friend (or worst enemy, depending on how you want to read it). The battle to find a desk is a daily stress, and you know it’s been a particularly bad day when you realise that come 5 o’clock, you’ve already eaten the equivalent of three whole meals in a relatively short space of time (the Marketplace must be making a fortune from our misery!)
One of the advantages of the library is its dominating position in the Forum, which makes people watching one of the most effective forms of procrastination. We are all guilty of it – a quick ten-minute break under the pretence of ‘clearing your head’ always turns into an excuse to observe the comings and goings of your peers. Here at Her Campus one of the main focuses of our people watching is the diverse range of library attire. Whilst I understand that it’s essential to feel comfortable and relaxed for a productive stint in the library, it’s also important to maintain some sense of respectability. Onesies, for example, should definitely be banned on campus. I am aware that they have a very large following – each to their own, I guess – but there is no way that sporting a onesie to the library can be indicative of an academically focused mind. And whilst I’m not suggesting that you actively ‘dress up’ for trips onto campus, some consideration of your outfit choice may actually be beneficial to your overall work ethic.
Although it tends to be guys who are more inclined to rock up to the library in their old, ripped tracksuit bottoms, I’ve seen girls get it wrong too. And by this I mean that anything remotely resembling your pyjama bottoms (even if you try to claim they’re ‘travelling trousers’), should not be worn outside of the comfort of your house. Jeans or leggings, on the other hand, are ideal as they’re comfortable and easy, yet still understated and causal. Pair these with either Nikes or boots and a loose cardigan over a simple T-shirt and you’ll instantly feel more put-together, getting you in the right mood to nail that essay you’ve been meaning to start for a week. For example, I love this chunky knit cardigan from Asos (Glamorous Aran Knit Boyfriend Cardigan, £25).
Another easy library look is patterned or colourful trousers or jeans paired with a Breton tee or a denim shirt (head to Urban Outfitters for this look). Both of these minimal effort outfits will make you look and feel great, which may in turn make you work harder. And although the library is primarily a place of study, you’d be a fool to think that you can get away without bumping into anyone you know. It’s sod’s law that the one person you don’t want to see will be the person you encounter upon entry into the library, still flushed in the face from the brisk march up the Forum hill. So it’s not only beneficial to your studies to take a minute to think about what you wear onto campus, but it’s also beneficial to your social life. And with most people spending more time in the library than either Mosaic or Timepiece, you might as well make the best impressions where you can on campus.
Having said all of this, I’m fully aware that there are those amongst us who genuinely claim to work better in what can only be described as lounge wear. If this is you, then that’s fair enough, but the library is still not the place to flaunt said lounge wear, so you’re better off working from home. If comfort on campus isn’t a number one priority (presuming that these trips just involve the odd lecture or a library visit to get out a silly amount of books), you can afford to really go for it on the outfit front and make campus your catwalk (I’m not suggesting sky-high heels, but if you’re only on campus for a couple of hours then heeled boots are more than acceptable).
So the next time you roll out of bed and open up your wardrobe to select an outfit for the day, bear in mind that it may just make you feel better in yourself if you make that extra effort to dress smart AND think smart. I promise that you’ll soon see that improvement reflected in your grades (ok, maybe not, but you’ll definitely get a first in fashion!)
Photo credits:
http://coasttocoastchallenge.wordpress.com/tag/geek-chic-fashion/