How Dressing Right Can Save Your Brand (and Your Sanity)
The Day the Shop Looked Like a Music Video
It was a bright Monday morning in Harare when customers walked into a small boutique and froze.
The shop looked like a Zimdancehall music video set.
One saleslady had green hair with white streaks apparently “representing company colours.” Another was in a see-through top and jeans that had survived too many fashion experiments. The gentleman at the counter was wearing a white suit, gold chain, and shoes shiny enough to blind a pigeon.
And to complete the picture, one young man behind the till had dreadlocks tied with a Zimbabwean flag bandana.
A customer whispered, “Is this a boutique or a band audition?”
That was the day the shop owner realised without rules, your brand becomes a circus.
Dress the Way You Want to Be Addressed
Here’s a simple truth how you dress tells the world how seriously to take you.
If you’re in business, you’re not just representing yourself you’re representing the brand.
Your appearance is your first handshake, your silent CV, your walking logo.
Ever noticed how the staff at big supermarkets like OK or Pick n Pay are always neatly dressed in uniforms? That uniform builds trust, order, and brand identity.
Now imagine if everyone came to work in whatever they felt like:
- Tawanda in his white wedding suit (for no reason).
- Josh in a vest and ripped shorts.
- Susan in her “Rest in Peace Gogo” T-shirt.
That’s not a company that’s confusion with receipts.
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
Ladies, this part is for you (and gents too):
We love creativity, but there’s a thin line between expressing yourself and scaring customers.
Red, blue, green, purple these are colours for parrots, not professionals. Corporate colours belong on your logo, not your head.
And to the gents please, maintain your haircut. Dreadlocks are perfectly fine, but make sure they look like “musician vibes” not “traditional healer vibes.” A clean appearance is not colonial it’s commercial.
Gents, Match That Belt!
There are two kinds of men in business: those who know that brown shoes go with a brown belt… and those who lose clients silently.
A black belt with brown shoes is the fashion equivalent of serving sadza with jam. It just doesn’t work.
Keep it simple:
- Brown shoes? Brown belt.
- Black shoes? Black belt.
- Crocs? Stay home.
Why Rules Matter
Rules in business aren’t to kill creativity they’re to protect professionalism.
When your staff look neat and uniform, customers trust your brand more.
People judge before they buy and no one buys from chaos.
If your shop looks like Christmas every day, you’ll attract visitors, not buyers.
Your dress code is your silent sales pitch. It speaks before you say a word.
When your staff look sharp, customers assume your business is sharp too.
But when your team looks like they’re going to a Rhumba concert, even your best prices won’t save you.
So remember: this is business, not a fashion show.
Dress like the money you want to make not the drama you want to attract.
By The Chartered Vendor
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