Dressed to Impress Who?

Suggested Professional Dress 

       As members of society we have been told to dress the part, whatever part that maybe.  From what to wear to a job interview or what is even acceptable to wear out in public, everyone has a different view.  So why is it that we can't wear our favorite leggings to work or wear a comfortable sweatshirt?  Does such attire inhibit productivity?  There are many questions as to why lounge wear is frowned upon in the work place.  Jessica Wolfendale and Jeanette Kennett, authors of Fashion, Philosophy for Everyone open their book with an introduction titled, "Who Cares About Fashion?"  Some would think the answer would be simple, that everyone cares, or only people in the fashion industry care about fashion.  Ultimately what we wear and how we dress ourselves are seen as matters of taste and personal preference hitting on the notions of vanity and social conformity.  In other terms, we wear certain attire to work or special events because it is part of conforming.  As humans we place a large amount of emphasis on the vanity of clothing and appearance when that does little to express our physical or mental capacities.  This presses the question: should we dress professionally when it does little to express our abilities?

     Wolfendale and Kennett quote Daniel Yim and incorporate his thoughts about fashion, identity, and freedom.  While fashion can express an identity, it also has the means of communicating group membership, social roles, and professional roles.  This thought suggests that dressing professionally communicates a message, that we are employed or hold some sort of status.  I believe students are a great test to of the posed question.  In an education and work driven society, going to school can be considered more or less a job.  There are differences between being a full time student and a part time student, similarly to holding a full

Students are casual in their dress 

time job or a part time job.  Should students dress the part when attending class?  At Western New England University, many students are in causal dress (jeans and a t-shirt) or lounge wear (sweatshirt and sweatpants).  We wear these clothes because we find them comfortable and functional for the task at hand.  This could be typing at a computer for many hours or sitting reading a text book.  If we did this all in professional business attire, I for one would feel silly.  It really isn't necessary to wear slacks and a low heel when I am studying for my next exam. 

      As students we also enter a major in which we gain valuable knowledge about a particular discipline in which we refine skills and qualities the prime us for the workforce.  Some of us are studying to be Nurse Practitioners, Pharmacists, Sports Casters, Accountants or Mechanical Engineers.  No matter the major, when we wake up in the morning, we are not digging around our closet for a clean dress shirt, we are looking for the closest pair of sweatpants or pair of jeans that is not dirty.  In class we are there for a purpose, to learn specific material that will benefit us in some way.  The degree we receive at the end of our study signifies the experiences and knowledge we have gained that we can bring into the workforce.  Ultimately to make another contribution to society to maintain cultural norms.  

      If a college graduate showed up to an interview in lounge wear - they probably be asked to leave.  They would be told they aren't taking this opportunity seriously, but why? Simply because they aren't dressed in a suit and tie?  The suit and tie doesn't change the knowledge or experiences that are just as valuable.  Society has placed such an importance on appearance that we may take things at face value without the desire for further investigation. Should we dress for our profession when it doesn't express our abilities?  I expressed how students succeed in sweatpants, however when it comes to the work force that would not be the case.  When we see someone dressed in professional attire, we have come to associate desirable traits with the clothing.  A man in a business suit is viewed as employed, successful, happy, and powerful.

Steve Jobs in his iconic jeans, black turtleneck, and sneakers

      However some of the most successful people do not wear professional attire, one of the most notable individuals would be Steve Jobs who wore blue jeans and a simple turtleneck shirt to his conferences when unveiling the iPhone.  It became an iconic look for the tech giant, and poses another question that once success is achieved, does appearance matter?  Everyone's answers to these questions will be different for we all experience fashion varying ways.  Maybe one day we will be wearing lounge wear to work because our abilities will outweigh the significance of our appearance.

Ethical Questions: 

 1. Should there be such a large emphasis on how people dress for professional roles?
 2. Will "blending in" soon become the equivalent of standing out?
 3.  Does professional attire really convey the positive traits that are associated with it?
 4. Should we dress professionally when it doesn't express our abilities?



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