William May has commissioned a survey to give insight in to people’s impressions when meeting strangers for the first time.
The results suggested that four out of five Brits make snap judgements when meeting people for the first time, but only 18 per cent of this group actually stick to their original perception.
Answers from 1,000 men and women aged between 18 and 60, questioned by William-May.co.uk revealed that first impressions do count, but can be easily transformed given the right circumstances.
Those surveyed highlighted that chatting to people and understanding their attitude were key factors to changing an initial impression.
Surprisingly, the survey has revealed that men are more judgemental than women when meeting people for the first time. The poll has shown that 89 per cent of the men surveyed admitted that they make snap judgements on first appearances, compared to 66 per cent of women.
The majority of the survey ranked cleanliness as the first thing they notice about a person, followed by hair, clothes, jewellery/watch, shoes and lastly their bag/handbag.
For men, timepieces were voted as the most revealing fashion item, with 70 per cent saying a watch was a strong indication on the type of person the wearer is and how much money they have. In contrast, women believed that it was a person’s shoes that revealed the most (38 per cent).
One respondent suggested: “You can tell a lot about a person from the brand of watch they wear. Some watches show wealth, others show style. Watches often give a good indication to what sort of person they are, especially if it’s a fake”
In fact, 73 per cent of the total survey ranked a watch as the key indication of wealth, followed by clothes (37 per cent) and wallet/handbag (36 per cent).
Nick Withington, managing director of William-May.co.uk, said: “It seems that appearance is everything when first meeting strangers. So, don’t be surprised if you’re judged based on what you are wearing or the way you present yourself.
“However, it’s reassuring to know that you may get a second chance, as these snap judgements don’t necessarily lead to long term opinions.
Nick continued: “For many years, watches have remained a firm status symbol. The survey reveals that this association shows no sign of abating.”
