Lost in Translation

Something rather funny happened when I went for my night Japanese lessons last evening. I came from work, so I was dressed in my long sleeved shirt, a casual beige jacket, jeans, a pair of American cockroach red covered shoes and carrying a black briefcase bag. I was feeling rather tired and my mind was addled due to the long day so when I entered the classroom I was feeling rather dazed already. I sat down and proceeded to take out my files and papers when my sensei (teacher) approached me and started talking to me. She's a lady, in her mid 20s to early 30s, speaks ok English but with a Japanese accent.

Sensei : Zhao Yang-san! Did you cut your hair?
Me: (snapping out of my daze) Err.. Hai! (Yes in Japanese)
S: Very nice! (hands drawing out an outline of a person's body) You look very handsome! You go dating later?
Me: (still in a daze) Err...Iie.. (No in Japanese) I went to work today so I dressed this way.
S: Sodesune! (Oh, like that ah in Japanese) (Puts 2 thumbs up) Very nice! Very handsome!
Me: (Finally coming to terms of what's happening) Hontoni? (Really in Japanese)
S: (still smiling, note:I used a term not taught yet in class but i learned it from watching too much anime) Hontoni!

Well of course I felt rather bucked as someone complimented me on my looks, although felt rather weird as it came from a teacher of all people. Then I thought back to what I wore for the last session. For the previous class I wore my baby blue bathing ape shirt, light brown diesel bermudas, airforce sandals and carried a backpack with straps very tight as I cycled to class. In addition my hair was unkempt, un-gelled and looked like a lion's mane. So I wonder if she was really complimenting me or making a subtle remark about my dressing for the last class.
If anything, this reminds me once again, clothes do maketh a man. If you look like a certain friend of mine who has this babyfaced youthful look, whenever he puts on his sec 1 orientation shirt and cap he immediately looks like a sec 1 kid again. But put him in a collared shirt he looks like a mature young man. Thus one should never underestimate the part the clothes you wear play when people are forming impressions about you.