Self Help
Barnes then told me of the day when he presented himself at the
Edison plant, for a position. He said he had to walk around the plant a
dozen times before he worked up enough courage to announce
himself, because he knew that he looked more like a tramp than he
did a desirable employee.
Barnes is said to be the most able salesman ever connected with the
great inventor of West Orange.
His entire fortune was made through his ability as a salesman, but he has often said that he never could have accomplished the results which have made him both wealthy and famous had it not been for his understanding of the psychology of clothes. I have met many salesman in my time.
During the past ten years I have personally trained and directed the efforts of more than 3,000 salespeople, both men and women, and I have observed that, without a single exception, the star producers were all people who understood and made good use of the psychology of clothes. I have seen a few well-dressed people who made no outstanding records as salesmen, but I have yet to see the first poorly dressed man who became a star producer in the field of selling.
I have studied the psychology of clothes for so long, and I have watched its effect on people in so many different walks of life, that I am fully convinced there is a close connection between clothes and success. Personally I feel no need of thirty-one suits of clothes, but if my personality demanded a wardrobe of this size I would manage to get it, no matter how much it might cost.
To be well dressed a man should have at least ten suits of clothes.
He should have a different suit for each of the seven days of the
week, a full dress suit and a Tuxedo, for formal evening occasions,
and a cutaway for formal afternoon occasions.
For summer wear he should have an assortment of at least four
appropriate light suits, with blue coat and white flannel trousers for
informal afternoon and evening occasions.
If he plays golf he should have at least one golf suit. This, of course, is for the man who is a notch or two above the "mediocre" class. The man who is satisfied with mediocrity needs but few clothes.