Dress

If Adam and Eve had not eaten the forbidden fruit then we would never have to face the everyday dilemma of deciding what to wear. We would all be naked and content, happy that we are free from those prison bars that form the fibres of the clothing that we wear. However, frolicking through our urban jungle with nothing but a smile is merely a fleeting thought. The dilemma of deciding what to wear still hangs over us like a grey storm cloud.

Every day is faced with the daunting task of compiling an outfit. Often this decision is made after having carefully considered a number of prerequisites. Where is it that we are going? What is the occasion? Who will be present? What are they likely to wear? Have I worn this combination before? It would seem sane to consider the weather or look at what is comfortable or at what is not dirty. Yet we still ask those relatively simple questions which also prove somewhat difficult to answer. This leaves us staring at the mirror, digressing into a more dangerous topic – the faults that the mirror reveals.

The fact is that in today’s society, dress plays an important role. Firstly, there are the obvious social consequences. These namely include image, status and expressions of individuality or culture. Secondly, there are political consequences. That is, the dress we wear will help us to pose as confident, intelligent, respectable and trustworthy. Often we would employ such tactics in both the interview room and the court chambers. In such cases, the dress makes that ‘silent recommendation’. When it seems that people these days often judge a book by its cover, it adds more stress to that every day dress decision.

Nevertheless, clothes are only a ‘title page’ to your identity, character and person. Although it is important to edge out competition to win over either the opposite sex, boss or judge by dressing well what is more important is the substance that the clothes encase. If we lived in a world where our judgement was based purely on visual consideration, then ‘clothes make the man’, however this is not the case. Dress may divert another’s attention away from our faults but the minute we open our mouths they can gauge who we truly are. Dress only provides a good starting point and plays no further part in the development of a relationship.

We often regard our dress as the key to success when it comes to developing relationships. Yet if we are truly confident with ourselves, then the dress plays only the practical role and not the political one. More often than not, those who are confident with themselves often find that they are not faced with the daily dress dilemma but also never find themselves analysing their reflection. This confidence stems from a simple belief: the person sees in himself what he wants others to see in him. Armed with this ideal, the dress chooses itself.