“In Green Bay, Wisconsin, ten bowling shirts are considered a great wardrobe.” -Greg Koch
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TASK #43 of 52: Changing Closets
Here’s what your clothes say about you: EVERYTHING!
It not only tells people who you are, it tells them what you are. Here’s a story: two men, friends. One worked in a funky record store. His wardrobe consisted of jeans, worn out Adidas, tee-shirts and jackets that he bought at the “used threads” boutique near the store. The other guy worked in a law office. His wardrobe was made up of dress pants, shirts with a collar, understated ties and shiny black shoes. Record Store Boy was a wise-ass but complained that no one took him seriously. Law Office Boy was as serious as his job, but he complained that he never had any fun. So, one evening after listening to them bitch about their lives, I had a brainstorm: I suggested that they change closets. Record Store Boy would wear Law Office Boy’s clothes to work for a few days, and vice versa. After much haggling they agreed to give it a try. So for a week Record Store Boy went to work in shiny shoes, dress pants and a shirt with a collar, and guess what? After the jeers of his lame co-workers faded away, Record Store Boy found that he was treated more seriously; and Law Office Boy worked for a week in clothes completely inappropriately for his office, i.e. jeans and a heavy metal tee-shirt, and his bosses cringed, and so did Law Office Boy–at first. But by the end of the day he was laughing at himself. And that is a good thing.
TASK: Look at yourself in the mirror before you leave the house this week. How are you dressed? What does it say about you? Find a picture of a man wearing clothes that you’d like to wear but never had the guts or the money or the circumstances to pull it off. It can be a model in a magazine, or a clothes horse like David Beckham—or it can be a picture of your Dad, a good friend, or a politician, whatever. Then go buy yourself a set of clothes to match. Find the money or find the less expensive equivalent. Then see what happens. And write it down.
Photo Credit: Pascal/flickr
Agree. There is a reason why in the military they are obsessed about clean and neat clothing and appearance. It disciplines you, it makes you more responsible, more alert and more self-conscious. Do a simple test at home. Put on your fancies and most formal suit, shoes and a tie. Look at yourself in the mirror. How do you feel? You definitely feel good about yourself. Well, this is how people feel about you when they look at you, if you are dressed really well!