Meaningless Meanderings

Appearances Are Everything

A man walks along the main street with long strides, almost as if he is in a hurry. He wears a long khaki coat, and he is covered in the same colored garments from the shoulder down. A jaunty fedora rests on his head, and tucked within the band of the hat is a single card. By all rights, this man is a journalist.

If a man walks down the street with a black trench coat, black pants and ball cap, he is going to cause trouble. If a woman wears a short skirt, she apparently doesn't respect herself. If a teenager walks into a store in baggy clothing, they intend to steal something.

Sound familiar?

It is intriguing how often we make assumptions on somehow based solely on how they dress. Within the past week, I have been asked no less than four times if I am a journalist due to the way I dress. Even more intriguing is how it is assumed that I am a professional photographer when I wear the same thing I always wear, but carry a camera instead of my normal backpack.

Yet every time I explain that this mode of dress is really what I wear daily, people have a hard time wrapping their minds around it. Why would I dress like a journalist or a photographer every day and have to correct everyone on their mistake?

Because I can.

I dress the way I choose because it is what I enjoy to wear. The same holds true for those others. While there may be some who fulfill that stereotype, there are many more who do it because that is what makes them who they are. When people see me without my coat and hat, they wonder who I am; the way I dress makes me who I am. It is just another way to express myself.

Just a random thought for you, as always.