Who you are vs what you wear

I was thinking today, can you tell who a person is immediately by what they choose to wear? We all make snap decisions and attach labels to people based on the cultural stereotypes we have in our heads.  However most people don't think about the effect the clothes they choose to wear will have on their audience, their audience being - everyone they will see that day.

So how do you find the balance between dressing for your self and feeling comfortable and making yourself more acceptable to those people you meet.  In my line of work I have to be a bit of a chameleon, dressing in line with my clients but I do not want to feel like I am playing a part or wearing a costume, as that would feel dishonest, hence the need for balance, between their expectations and my preferences.  I use clothes to tell a story, they say who you are, where and how you see yourself.  In my humble opinion the least your clothes should be saying about you is that you care about yourself.  By that I mean, you care enough for your clothes to fit and be maintained (ironed at the least), you care enough to ensure your clothes suit your personality.

There are not many people who can pull off a top hat for day wear, but if you can why shouldn't you?  It says you have a personality, dressing for others does not mean removing your personality from your choices it means, trusting that people will like you because you are comfortable and secure in who and what you are.