A Serious Man

Goodness. It’s cold outside. A nice reminder that February is still winter and even in Texas that means a chill air. Of course, as the temperature dropped yesterday, and I went to the store in a hoodie and a jacket, I still saw men and boys in shorts. And I’m still not sure how that’s comfortable and why men do it. It used to be that only boys wore short pants and men wore long. Now, short pants are ubiquitous, a symbol of freedom, I suppose. But in cold weather it’s a sartorial choice that makes me wonder.

But then again, people used to dress for church, too, and no one went out with curlers in their hair, and pajamas were for the bedroom. And don’t get me started on spandex or any tight fitting clothes because there are a lot of wearers who just have no idea. And all this sounds sort of judgy, and I apologize. These are probably fine people one and all, but books have covers for a reason and packaging matters, which is why manufacturers spend so much time trying to make their products appealing to the populace. The clothes we wear in public say something about us.

In business and life, I always felt it was best to be over rather than underdressed. You could always remove a tie, but they were hard to find on the spur of the moment. And if I was going to stand out I wanted it to be on the upside rather than the down. Of course, a lot of people say they’d rather not hang out with people who might judge their apparel and appearance. I’d say, fine. But they are, whether you know it or not. On a micro level, I think that’s how mating works. We look. We see. And if it suits our eye, we’re all in. It’s also why a smile gets you further than a frown.