Google senior manager: Dressing up, putting on makeup made me ‘more successful'

'Getting dressed and putting on makeup signals to my brain that it's time to work and that I'm going to get everything on my to-do list done,' Anchal Mirza said.

A senior manager at Google has said that dressing in “full outfits” and doing her makeup while working remotely made her “more successful and motivated.” Anchal Mirza, 36, who works in strategy and operations for Google’s data‑centre optimisation objectives, told Business Insider that she performs better when she is slightly dressed up — whether at home or in the office.

She added that staying camera‑ready helped her maintain authority and presence during virtual meetings, a habit she carried over from her pre‑pandemic office days.

She added that getting fully dressed made her feel more productive and allowed her to “command the digital room,” especially when workplaces shifted abruptly to remote work in 2020. Mirza said she initially continued wearing makeup and at least a polished top, before eventually returning to complete outfits because it made no difference to her routine, but improved how she felt.

Two 'uniforms' and a minimalist wardrobe

To keep mornings simple, Mirza relies on go‑to combinations. "Wherever I work, I have two 'uniforms' that help me balance casual and business styles. I'm either wearing jeans with a polished top or sweater, or I'll wear nice slacks with a more casual shirt," she told the publication.

She said neutral colours keep her wardrobe interchangeable and reduce decision‑making — a small but effective system that supports productivity.

The psychology behind getting dressed

Mirza’s approach aligns with the concept of “enclothed cognition,” a psychological idea that what people wear can influence how they think and perform. Dressing up, she said, wasn’t vanity but a way to show up with clarity, confidence and intention. Her experience also counters the laid‑back dress culture associated with Big Tech, where the “Patagonia vest and jeans” stereotype still dominates.

Mirza believes that looking the part directly shapes how she behaves at work — particularly in video‑heavy environments where presence is key. Dressing up, she said, ultimately made her “more successful, motivated and productive,” reinforcing the idea that small rituals can have outsized professional impact.