“Clothes maketh the Man”, an old saying.
Actually, it’s the Uniform that does it. If one takes a detached view of our city’s current scenario, it becomes obvious. Municipal workers are now wearing uniforms. They are identifiable. The private security forces in Pakistan probably employ over one million people; mostly, untrained and semi-reliable. But when they arrive for their shifts in the smart uniforms, they are accorded some respect. Once they doff their uniform, they no longer stand out. Same is with waiters, airline crews, medics, etc.
Uniforms create a visual shortcut. You see the outfit before you see the person and that changes everything about how we read the individual.
What changes when a man puts on a uniform?
Identity shifts from personal to individual.
A suit, a badge, or camouflage replaces personal expression with a role. Military, police, corporate uniforms, all do this. The person becomes a representative of the institution: State power, law or company brand. That’s why uniforms are standardized across history – Rome’s legions, 19th century police forces, and modern airline crews.
Perception of authority & trust.
Uniforms signal order, competence, and rules. Studies on social psychology show people comply more with requests from uniformed individuals, even when the request is trivial. For paramilitaries, the uniform communicates legitimate force. For corporate uniforms, it communicates professionalism and accountability.
The British Raj in South Asia dotted the area with Garrison cities – Quetta, Kohat, & Sialkot. Each such city had a Saddar or Lal Kurti – to produce properly branded uniforms, belts, insignias, boots, etc. The standout user of uniforms was the Adolf Hitler. After years of sanctions (after WWI) the German nation was down and out.
Once the National Socialist Party came to power in 1933, they launched the greatest DNA superiority programme ever. The ‘Aryan myth’. Central to this were the uniforms of the party apparatus. Brilliant uniforms, leather wear, boots, insignias and helmets.
Every type of uniform was rebranded. The textile producers in Germany and the design experts led by Hugo Boss created the most well-dressed military apparatus in the world.
Currently, our honourable Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, is in the news for his sartorial splendour. His wardrobe has been upgraded to coincide with his rank. Perfectly-tailored suits, safaris, coordinates. Great turnaround. I wonder whether he prefers the Jermyn Street establishment, Milano, or Hong Kong?
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
The writer is a former Executive Director of the Management Association of Pakistan