Character traits or profiling? Traits need more time to confirm, profiling says more early on. It's mostly unconscious judgment for me. I don't care much beyond confirming that they are not a threat and their goals are benign.
Besides what others had already said people are often defined by the situation and clothes because that sets the context for the interaction. Someone coming to a game night in a suit means that they're overworked and don't have proper work/life balance.
The priority order of what someone says matters. What people say first is either pertinent to the situation or something important to them. But if a person only says things related to the situation that means they're guarded and careful not to reveal stuff about themselves, they're in the interaction to extract information not provide it. If I hear someone quickly share that they're doing IT stuff it often means that they have low self esteem because they're going for a nod of approval from others.
Clothes musings:
1. Wearing cheap clothes? They don't care about their image, they're hobos or don't take care of themselves, maybe not a "sensor", low conscientiousness.
2. Wearing good brand clothes that suit their look means someone takes care of themselves, has some aesthetic taste, thinks about what they're doing, average-good conscientiousness.
3. Someone wearing 100$ t-shirts. Vane, egoistic, narcissistic, a ”sensor", high neuroticism.
4. Someone wearing 1000usd shirt or suit, a medium business owner, politician or mafia. Basically a criminal or someone who plays loose with the rules for profit. There has to be a good explanation for them be able to afford stuff. Knowing what brands of clothes are expensive and how expensive materials look is useful. It's often an order of magnitude difference like 10usd jeans, or 100usd ones and 1000usd ones that put people in different categories.
5. Someone wearing the same clothes on the next day? Forgetful, low conscientiousness. Wearing the same clothes 2 days in a row? Something is wrong with them, probably mental issues or crushed by life.
Someone with a long messy beard often means they're a manchild with image issues and toxic masculinity.
Someone driving a 4x4? Self-esteem issues.
Sailor? Probably an alcoholic. Red flush on their neck and face? Alcoholic. Sailor t-shirt? Alcoholic. Harley motorcycle? Alcoholic.
