Sunday Sharies 09.11.22

A QUOTE

"Dressing is a way of life."
― Yves Saint Laurent, French fashion designer
 

A QUESTION

What are you wearing when you feel your most confident?


A THOUGHT

I wore Birkenstocks to work last week. After spending my teenage years chastising my mom for treating her clogs like formal footwear, there I was letting my feet breath right on through the board meeting.

It got me thinking about what we wear and our relationship with power.

Generally speaking, power is the ability to influence other people’s behavior. Our outfits, then, signal the level of influence we hope for in a given scenario. Whether or not we’re conscious of it, clothing choices reflect our relationship to power:

  • If we want it, we wear a suit or revealing shirt

  • If we revere it, we wear a uniform or our favorite team’s jersey

  • If we want to reject it, we wear a backwards cap or... crocks

I was happy to wear my German foot hammocks at the office because I’m leaving my job in two weeks. I’m not concerned about how my style affects people’s perception of my work quality.

Dress is a marker of status and the armor of everyday life.

Siena Hickey