"Appearance is our first filter," Sylvia Ann Hewlett, author of the book "Executive Presence," previously told Business Insider. "And it's happening all the time."
Princeton researchers have found that it takes about 100 milliseconds to register a first impression, or as long as a hummingbird flaps its wings.
"The really good news here is that it's about polish, grooming, and being put together," Hewlett said. "It's not about the precise shape of your body, texture of your hair, or the designer you wear."
Some research suggests that dressing more formally can make you both feel and appear more powerful. In one 2014 study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, men dressed in either a suit or sweats engaged in mock negotiations with a partner. Results showed that the men were more successful in the negotiations when they were wearing a suit.
You don't have to wear a gray suit all the time, she said. Instead, pay attention to how the best-dressed people in your organization and industry put themselves together, then pattern after them. Or, take a look at this outline of how to dress in any work environment.