WHAT’S YOUR STYLE?

Are you reserved and sophisticated? Are you wild and adventurous? Are you “Street Walker Chic” or the plain old girl next door? Do you follow the latest trends or forge your own path? What you wear and how you wear it says volumes about how you are perceived by the world and its various societies. I adhere to the Steve Jobs approach to dress. I wear all-black cargo pants and matching shirts, and sometimes khakis. It simplifies my weekly outings and sets a post-military standard that suits my personality. At home, I wear matching silk pajama tops and bottoms. But I am a guy, (an old guy), and I can get away with this mundane style of dress, and my wife does not hate me for it. (In fact, I've been told that she loves me!)

However, women are looked upon differently, in most cases. You are considered “Fashion Plates”, for lack of better terms. Some of you “just don’t give a nasty” what you wear in public, and simply mold your garments to the frame you were given or morphed into over time. Others of you push the envelope and force your ample or bony behinds into the most inappropriate, ill-fitting garb known to man, (or woman for that matter)! I am not judging here, I am simply making an astute observation based on the sensory input I receive daily through these 74-year-old eyes of mine. Call me old fashioned, out of date, or just not in tune with modern expressions of public dress, but at least hear and understand the message, and glean whatever value there is being offered for free. Sometimes your friends lie to you to make you feel better about yourself, or to make themselves look better next to you! You look in the mirror before you leave home, right? You take selfies and admire them on your cell phone, do you not? Well, ask yourself, “Would Dad be happy if he saw me wearing this out?” Okay, so you say, “I don’t have a Daddy!” Let me tell you a very short story about a young girl who was almost picked up in a nightclub, by a man who turned out to be her daddy! He thought she was just an “easy piece” he could use for the night. End of the very short story!

Style is subjective. You can create your own personal style and carry it through casual, formal, and business attire presentations. You can stamp your signature on your own personal style and become recognized instantly from a distance, or when surrounded by your peers and contemporaries! Your personal style can include accessories that reflect your ancestral culture, even though the clothing you wear is modern, off-the-rack, custom-made, or what is considered designer wear. Your hair and makeup, or the lack of makeup and hair, also become a part of your signature. (I could easily pick my wife out among a hundred women!) Are you distinctive in style, dress, or other physical qualities? What makes you stand out in a crowd? Or blend in if that is your motivation?

Step back and take a critical look at what you are presenting to the world before you leave the comfort, safety, and privacy of your home. Remember, you cannot go around slapping people or cussing them out if they make negative comments about your style of dress. If your style fits your personality; then own it and project it! Otherwise, just wear khakis!