FORGIVE me, but I am now going to state something obvious.

Appearances do matter. Really.

It amazes me how some guys dress shabbily either on a daily basis or for functions, and think that they can get away with it.

Ask them about it and they reply that they are self-assured or are confident enough in their personalities to bowl people over. That's rubbish, I say. Maybe this approach worked when we were back in school and eating Kaka or Chickadees.

But the days of wearing PE shorts are long gone and, in this day and age, you are what you wear.

My take is that those who persistently dress poorly are self-centred and just do not care.

Even pin-up boys, such as Justin Timberlake and Brad Pitt, make it a point to fuss over their wardrobes. So, mere mortals, such as ourselves, have all the more reason to take the extra time to mix and match our attire.

Dressing-up is not just about looking good. It is also about respect. The effort you put in shows just how much you regard yourself, your date or the event that you are attending.

Consider these situations:

Scene 1: You see a well-dressed woman in town, walking hand in hand with a guy who is wearing a moth-bitten T-shirt, bermudas and slippers. Even her gardener dresses better.

Your reaction: You want to tap her on the shoulder and tell her that she should just chuck him. I agree. Why be with a guy who does not respect you enough to make himself look presentable in your presence?

Scene 2: You attend a wedding that clearly states the dress code as formal and a guy shows up in a short-sleeved shirt. Worse, he looks as if he just got out of bed.

Your reaction: You make a note that if it is your wedding, you will make it a point to check if he actually put in any money in the red packet that he gave.

Guys, I do not think that it is unreasonable to dress within the respected boundaries.

Forget about being dressed from head to toe in Prada, Gucci or Louis Vuitton.

That is extravagant. What matters more is to be neat and proper.

It takes a split second for most of us to make a judgment on someone. If you score negatively at job interviews or networking events, you do not have the luxury of time to bowl the other person over with your charming personality or wit.

As they say, dress like a king and be treated like a king. If you persist on being drab, go ahead and continue to dress like a dog.

Just do not blame the world if you end up with scraps.