Prom, Monday Night Football, Wet T-shirt Contest: Why You Should Dress The Part

We never wear school uniforms. But, back then, we had a dress code. According to our teachers, and our parents, dressing ‘properly’ would put us in the mood to go to school. Well, we never got in the mood for school, no matter how well coded we may have been. Still, we have to admit, there was a certain amount of humor attached to our dirtiest after-school sneakers and jeans. They almost pushed us into the basketball court. Or over the hill to play some baseball.

So maybe the neat and ironed stuff from school kept us…well, restrained, anyway. And if standing still (or reasonably) can be construed as ‘looking forward to school’, I guess we got as close as ‘proper attire’ could make us get. Which is to say, as much as we hate to admit it, what we wore mattered. And from what we can see, it still does. Go to an interview on Wall Street in your Levi jeans and Air Jordans and see how you do. Of course, when you get to be CEO, it will probably be considered great.

But what you wear is more than just what the world thinks of you. When a teenage girl dresses up for prom, even if she usually hates the dress and heels thing, suddenly, on prom night, she actually wants to use them. So maybe our teachers were right. It’s not just the Authority making demands on us. We are. Looking at ourselves in the mirror. Creating Who We Are at a given moment.

Have you ever noticed the camaraderie of fans at a soccer game wearing the same team jerseys? Heck, the team jerseys even get you in the mood when you’re watching Monday night football on the couch. Or, think about walking on the beach, waves gently lapping against the shore, while walking around in your basic flannel suit. And the funniest image, if not your boss… though… well… we guess it all depends: you in your cubicle in a bikini.

And what would a wet t-shirt contest be like if you were wearing a sweatshirt? But there is an impact even beyond the occasion. There’s just the matter of whether what you wear makes you feel good about yourself. Remember those fabulous lyrics from West Side History? “I feel pretty, oh so pretty! I feel pretty and witty and brilliant! And I feel sorry for anyone but me tonight!” Now, Maria was alone, looking at herself in a mirror, while she bled. Because ‘being pretty’ was what she saw in herself. Like a woman in love. Who knew that she was loved in return.

Awwwwww. The point is that beauty is, in fact, in the eye of the beholder. Fortunately, you they are the viewer. And the good news is that you are free to orchestrate what you see. Through your Air Jordans. Or your pearl necklace. Or your NFL jersey. Or your black lace teddy. Even so, we must remember that the image is definitely not everything. We love Andre Agassi. But we hate that commercial.

Despite the exterior decoration, the image we have of ourselves in our own minds is the image that really counts. That tells us, and the world, who we really are. In a very real way, we dictate our image to the world. Sort of like a rearview mirror. How we see ourselves becomes how the world sees us. Because we are the world, right? If not us, then who?

So sometimes that perfect little dress, that #2 baseball jersey, that Brett Favre Vikings jersey you got (or gave away) for your 40th birthday… they make you smile in the mirror. And Son of a Gun if the whole damn world doesn’t smile back! Hey, you may not be what you wear. But obviously it is can get in the mood The mood for what depends on you.