YOUR DRESS - SPEAKS OUT

YOUR TURN OUT 

Worth reading for all officers who take pride in being gentlemen. The term turnout describes the manner in which a person dresses and presents himself. 'Shabby turnout produces shabby behavior' is an old military dictum.

It will be in order to recall an incident that happened at a major military training academy a few years ago. Conduct of the officers at a social function was found to be highly unacceptable. A group of inebriated officers threw beer bottles in the swimming pool and monopolized the dance floor with whiskey glasses in hands. Fearing misbehavior, all ladies walked off the floor.

Expectedly, the Commandant was distraught. Although not all his staff officers agreed with him, he felt that casual dress allowed for the function was one of the main contributory factors. He prescribed shirt and tie for the next social get-together. A distinct improvement in the general behavior was discernible.

Convinced of his inference that dress influenced the behavior of the officers, the Commandant mandated lounge suit/mess dress for all social events. He never had to face any embarrassing spectacle thereafter. Even the New Year party, which used to degenerate into an ugly mayhem earlier, remained a dignified affair.

The above episode has been recounted to highlight the fact that dress exerts profound psychological and behavioral influences on the wearers. Researchers call the process as 'enclothed cognition'.

Behavior which is not in line with the expectations of how one should behave when wearing a particular dress creates a psychological conflict called cognitive dissonance. Without being aware of it, people attempt to relieve the conflict by modifying their behavior to match their dress. Resultantly, their behavior remains in consonance with the expected norms.

Clothing has a huge influence on others' perceptions. People judge and respond to others by the way they look and act. 

Realizing the importance of impact of turnout on human psychology, the services have always laid a great deal of stress on prescribing dresses to suit different occasions and requirements. Different dresses evoke diverse feelings, have associated nuances of the norms of conduct and are suggestive of the manner in which a wearer is expected to act. Whereas uniform makes an officer feel like a disciplined leader, combat dress prepares him mentally for physical activity. In other words, dress makes an officer get into the necessary frame of mind and prepares him to perform the required role.

All officers were expected to be appropriately turned out at all times as it was felt that outward appearance, both in formal and informal interactions, impacted the environment considerably. Therefore, formal dresses were specified for social functions as well. Entering an officers' mess without lounge suit was considered a sacrilege. Even the services institutes followed the dress codes strictly.

Neglect of the dress code has impacted the psyche of the officers adversely. They have stopped taking pride in their appearance. Under the garb of wearing casual clothes, they dress shabbily. It is distressing to see officers visiting canteens and other facilities unshaven and wearing sloppy footwear. Resultantly, such officers tend to behave in an unbecoming manner.

Finally it is understandable that norms and views undergo change with time. However, it should not be done at the cost of the services culture. It is hard to digest the logic that officers cannot relax and enjoy if dressed in lounge suits. Whereas adjustments must be made to cater for climatic conditions, a certain degree of moderation must be exercised. Swinging from one extremity to another is not judicious.

Unless officers are made to dress like gentlemen, they cannot be expected to behave liken gentlemen. 'You are what you wear' is an old saying....

NOTE BY EDITOR :-

 Human Psyche and behaviour are strongly inter linked. If you go out of your house in a torn Payjama, your behaviour will be like that of any other torn payjama-wala 

In China the entire staff at any public place wears a dress. All dresses are smart. Something that does not disclose there status, job etc. A sweepers dress is as smart as that of a receptionist or his/her supervisor. It is this smartness of dress that sets the trend for their behaviour towards there job and the behaviour of others towards them and the job they are doing for them

A great tool for removing social dIvide

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Brig Narinder Dhand,
Founder & Convener
Veteran's Web Portals.

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