Dress Code

As I waited at a stoplight this morning, I noticed a guy waiting at a bus stop.  He was wearing a very nice gray suit and he could not have looked more uncomfortable.  The bus stop he was waiting at is mostly used by university students.  The typical attire worn by most of the crowd there barely rises to casual.  Some of the kids appear to be wearing pajamas, which I suppose is both trendy and efficient when you're running late.

The fellow in the suit stood very stiffly and appeared to be trying to maintain a buffer between himself and any structures or people.  The structures weren't giving him much trouble but the people kept crossing into his personal space bubble.  Each time a group moved in a little too close, he would shuffle a little bit away from them.  He kept himself on the perimeter, obviously wary of getting trapped from multiple sides.  He appeared to be about the same age as the rest of the group but none of them seemed to know him.  Or maybe they just didn't recognize him in his businessman disguise.

As I drove on, I thought about men and suits.  Some guys just look natural and comfortable in a suit.  Whether they are in church or at a baseball game, they don't really seem out of place.  The suit is like an extension of themselves, an integral part of who they are.  When they try to go casual, it's usually Dockers and a polo shirt and they always seem a tad less at ease.

On the other end of the spectrum, are guys like the one I saw this morning.  No matter how nice the suit is, or how well it fits, something just doesn't seem right.  I am one of these guys.  When I put on a suit, it's like I'm playing dress-up.  These are not my clothes.  This is not me.  I would much prefer to wear a t-shirt and jeans.  And that is what I often do, whether I'm going to church or a baseball game.  Interestingly, when someone from this group tries to dress up a little, they often go with Dockers and a polo shirt.  It's nice to see there's a little fashion common ground out there.

I guess most of us feel most at ease when the people around us are comfortable.  And I think people are most comfortable when they can be themselves.  If that means wearing a suit to a baseball game or jeans to church so be it.