Guilty by Attire
One would think that someone is shallow for judging another person by what they wear, but clothing has defined people since the day Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden and resorted to wearing fig leaves. Clothing can give hints to a person’s social or economic status. It can also show a person’s position of employment and college or political affiliation. At football games we can see which person supports what team and can discern between the teams on the field simply by what they wear. Therefore, in a sense, clothing does not exactly define us, but rather shows association.
Here is a section of one of Dave Chapelle’s standup comedy sessions that addresses association by what people wear in a very humorous way. Ignore the cursing and vulgar content, but rather focus on the point Chapelle makes.
(Dave Chapelle at his finest.)
In his sarcastic way Chapelle gives a very good example how clothing is a form of association. The decision of someone to wear a certain piece of clothing might be to define themselves or somehow "subscribe" to a certain group. The decision could be subconscious. One might ask, why is a suit and tie considered formal attire as opposed to jeans and a shirt? Why do police officers wear black and blue and firemen and EMS personnel wear red? Again, these are just ways of association.
During the first week here at Case this form of association was used very often. Orientation leaders would wear bright red shirts and the freshmen going through welcome days would wear white shirts with pirate ships adorned on the back. Later we received shirts from our respective residential colleges. There was almost a shirt for every occasion, and that on top of the Browns, Steelers, Bengals, Indians, Cavaliers, Ohio State, Chelsea FC, Case Western, YMCA, and other shirts that littered the bodies of students across campus. With so many forms of association, association itself becomes a way to define oneself.
When college basketball season starts up again, I will bring out my KU jersey and in that way define myself as a supporter of that university, just as others will bring out UCONN, UF and OSU jerseys. When I go to a formal event I will wear a suit and tie, not only because it is a requirement, but also to present myself in a fashionable way.
With all these examples of how what we wear could be taken as a way we define ourselves, I might think twice about what message I am giving to the outside world by what I wear. As Dave Chapelle says, “Just because I'm dressed this way does not make me a police officer,” and I would not want someone to mistake me for something that I am not.
Thank you for reading.
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