In a former life, I asked one of the pilots for a major helicopter manufacturer why he had a shirt with 4 stripes on it as he started a trip through central and South America. He said that if you didn't dress like that (and added 'especially in Africa') you wouldn't get any respect from anyone. Probably wouldn't even get close to your own helicopter.
It ain't just us who are in the day to day world who are watching - dress appropriately, speak appropriately and act even more appropriately.