The common adage that “one should dress for the job she wants” is wrong. At least, the over-dressing crowd has taken it out of context.
The cliché applies to job interviews in which the job one is applying for (e.g. McDonald’s) requires less than business professional (e.g. an apron). Dressed-up should always be the attire for interviews, regardless of the position’s dress code.
Yet some take this advice too far, looking down upon people who wear casual clothing in a casual setting. For some reason people seem to think that the level of dress directly correlates to one’s self esteem, as if dressing casually to the grocery store means you harbor insecurities that only straightened hair and heels can mask.
This is ridiculous. There is a time and a place for everything. And as it turns out, casual clothing is acceptable outside of a gym. Leggings were a fashion piece in the eighties and they have made a comeback. For anyone to argue against leggings and yoga pants as clothing, she must first reject the millions of dollars in yearly sales, the celebrities that don them in every issue of every style magazine, and the opinion of most of the population.
No, leggings and yoga pants do not represent the fall of man. They are clothing that when worn properly represent a great victory for the comfort of man. Well, wo-man.
Of course, yoga pants worn in place of dress pants to a workplace, or leggings that are so tight and ill-fitting they draw horrified eyes like moths to a light bulb, are inappropriate. The same logic applies for business skirts that fall too short and blouses that leave too many buttons undone. Taste and comfort are not always at odds.
At Hillsdale, many students dress up almost every single day. There is a tendency for these well dressers to look down upon those in more casual attire. Apparently, going class is not for exchanging ideas and learning, but is a fashion show of sorts, in which one is judged by the fanciness of their clothes instead of the content of their character.
Before you judge someone’s yoga pants and sweatshirts, try on a pair of that peer’s yoga pants for a day or two. You might find that after waking up at 4:45 a.m. for a two and a half hour morning basketball practice, she had no time to shower and dress up before her 8 a.m. class. After a morning of classes and a quick lunch, she had to meet with her professor and lift before dinner, after which began hours of studying to ensure a bedtime that allowed her to get at least five hours of sleep.There isn’t much room for make-up in that day.
All Hillsdale students are busy, and many simply prefer to spend their time studying or being involved on campus, even if that means leggings and a sweater instead of a dress sometimes.
If every wardrobe choice represents an image that portrays one’s character, those that dress up every single day could be seen as pretentious and haughty.
Leggings are good for women. But don’t get me started on “meggings.”
