On: Office Life at the Pentagon Is Disconcertingly Retrograde

> It sets me apart and shows my interlocutor that I value the meeting and respect his or her time.

That sentiment should come from your language and the content of your discussion, not from your appearance...

"A picture is worth a thousand words."

The effort that an individual devotes to their appearance does communicate to certain audiences your attention to detail, discipline, etc... in ways that a silver tongue alone won't. We can argue over the accuracy/applicability of any conclusions drawn from that, but in certain domains/problem spaces appearance is a very relevant assessment tool in building trust.