Sun 29 Jul 2007
Michael Vick’s Image
Posted by Sandy Dumont under Image of Celebrities
[19] Comments
Michael Vick appeared in court on Friday the 27th of July and was dressed in a dark suit with a dark shirt. Too gangsterish looking for court! Better to have worn a white shirt to indicate "purity" or innocence. However, the most negative thing about Vick's image is his arrogant posture or stance. Bad body language, because it says, "I'm above the law."
WaW! You are so right, Sandy. I did not realize that the outside reflects the inside. Quite interesting and at the same time powerful stuff! Does not look pritty for Vick!
Hi Shawn,
Thanks for your comment. Things seem to be getting worse by the day for Vick. I believe people instinctively dress to show who they are, and Vick dresses like a gangster.
Sandy
Sandy,
What would you suggest as a dress code in case one is in dire strait as Vick or anybody else who is on the wrong side of the law and needs to make an appearence in court?
It is doubtful that it would appeal to Vick, but I would suggest a navy blue suit (blue is for trust), a white shirt (purity) and a non-threatening soft blue tie, like the one the President favors. It’s not a power tie since it’s a pastel, it’s a submissive tie, and that’s more suitable than the arrogant look he currently has.
You can take the thug out of the ‘hood, but you can’t take the ‘hood out of the thug.
I am quite confident that he spent more on that suit than most people could or would spend on a single article of clothing. However, coupled with his imposing physical characteristics, the choice makes him look that much more like someone who would commit those heinous acts against innocent animals.
If I could be so presumptuous as to address Shawn’s question: If I were to appear before a judge, I would dress like a lawyer…when in doubt, err on the conservative side.
Steve,
I think you are right, Steve, Vick’s behavior has been rather questionable, and that’s how he dresses. I’ve always maintained that you do not usually “hide” who you are. It is with training that people learn to dress like polished profesionals, and at the same time, it is not overnight that they truly become polished professionals. It’s sort of like the old saying that when the student is ready, the professor appears.
See my comments above about what to wear to court when you want to look innocent and trustworthy.
That was the first thing I thought – the pin stripes make him look like a gangster! The dark shirt and striped tie seem to emphasize the stripes of the suit. Not sure I agree that the way people dress necessarily shows who they are – maybe they don’t know who they are, don’t know how they look, or dress in ways that reveal their insecurities instead of their strengths. Maybe they let their spouse or mother dress them, and their clothes show the values of the people who chose their clothing. If that weren’t the case, no one would need Sandy’s advice, right? If I were going to dress Vick for court I’d put him in a gray suit, with a white shirt, and pale blue tie. I bet shaving and wearing glasses would help, too.
Sara,
Your observations indicate you’ve given this much thought. Pinstripes are worn by bankers who have a penchant for putting figures in long, thin columns. This is the “uniform” of people in “finance” of any kind. However, when worn by those outside banking/finance, it can look either like you are very stiff and unapproachable – or, when worn with a dark shirt, like you are a gangster.
With 30 years experience and observation, I believe wholeheartedly that the way you look and dress announces how you feel about yourself. Most peole choose colors and styles from the “heart and soul” or from habit, and NOT from the results in the mirror. That’s the first thing they discover when they attend an image workshop.
You are right! Most people do not know who they are, and I was a prime example of this. Before I got my red dress at age 17 for graduation, I wore colors my mother picked out for me from birth. I assumed the mousy personality that matched those colors. When I looked at myself in the mirror with that red dress on, I truly had an epiphany and realized the person I was born to be had been covered up my whole life. My life and my personality changed dramatically from that point on. When you change the way you look on the outside, people treat you differently – and then you change on the inside.
Sometimes we dress to be accepted by peers, and perhaps that what Michael Vick did. Unfortunately, a lot of his peers were gangsters.
Whew! If we are all judged by our image…I think you should find someone to give your business a new logo. It is horrible!
Jen,
We’ve been judging since caveman days. It’s hardwired into humans for survival purposes. Can That wild animal run faster than I can? Is he stronger? Will he beat me to the food I need? Will he/she steal my mate?
I can suggest that you read Dr. Robert Cialdini’s groundbreaking book, “INFLUENCE, the Psychology of Persuasion,” to learn more about the judgments we make daily.
Sorry you don’t like my logo. I designed it myself.
Sandy
You are right on the money! I am surprised his lawyer did not advise him on how to dress.
Joyce,
Most of the attorneys that I have encountered lately on the streets of my town have obviously not yet read a book on power dressing – judging from their appearance. Thus, they are unable to help clients with their courtroom attire.
I would have to admit Sandy that you are right. As an upcoming Image Consultant in the DC Metropolitan Area I must agree the dark suit he is wearing in the picture is a bit “gangsta” and a white shirt under the dark color suit would have made less of a statement (in the winter). He does appear arrogant and/or cocky and I am unsure if he can alter that appearance becasue that might be who he is, however he could use some consultation on his body language and choice of associates to prevent this public humilation in the future. I would also advise as Sara has previously mentioned a lighter color suit and tie and a fresh shaven face and of course the ever so popular wire framed glasses to soften his beautiful features, as to appear less intimidating!!!
Antoinette
P.S. I love your newsletters, they are very helpful!
Hi Antoinette,
Thanks for your comments, and I am glad you enjoy my newsleters. You are right – his associates have brought him down; and he needs lessons in body language. However, it is very difficult to make the body act in a “dishonest” manner. Body language is automatic.
My choice for a suit would be solid navy blue. Blue is trust, and the classic navy blue looks polished and profesional.
Sandy
Yes, quite a difference in body posture. And indeed, his dress code changed as well. I agree that this guy must have had some advice. Do you think the public would change its negative viewpoint due to these changes?
Shawn,
Changing one’s “persona” is a start in changing the reaction people have to you.
Vick’s new persona was one of humility and shame, as oppposed to arrogance. If you go to my website and scroll to the bottom, you will see a TV interview I did recently regarding Vick’s image at his recent court appearance. My suggestion for winning back the public was to grovel non-stop.
He looks like he’s wearing a yellow tie. I’m not sure I understand that – it reminds me of the so-called “power yellow tie” of the 1980s. He does look far more approachable in this picture. Is it the suit? I’m not sure.
I find it interesting not that we cue people on how to treat us by how we’re dressed – but that how they respond to a change in attire affects who we are. Or how we experience ourselves. It’s quite fascinating. I had an awful experience years ago, walking in a park with my toddler. I was wearing a flowered skirt and a black jacket with leopard-print collar and cuffs. I’d dressed my child in a turquoise and green pair of overalls with a lizard pattern on it. A frightening woman in a red dress with brass buttons sitting on a bench nearby looked at us and said to me – I am not kidding you, she actually said this – “I bet your husband deals drugs.” This did not communicate to me that there was something wrong with the way I dressed, but rather, that there was something wrong with this woman’s value system and attitude. She had cultural biases she felt compelled to inflict on me – a complete stranger – and she was dead wrong. It’s taken me a long time to realize if I change the way I present myself, I’m not having something taken away from me – I am gaining control of how people respond to me, and I can work it to my advantage.
Sara,
Vick’s tie just misses the mark when it comes to yellow power ties. It needs to have more contrast. It is barely visible.
Your story about the woman in the park is fairly classic. Animal prints often have a “wild” connotation, for obvious reasons, and it is probably for that reason that you were judged so harshly. That’s why I suggest my female clients limit jungle prints to personal attire – or team them with a very serious-looking suit.