I occasionally wonder whether being “properly dressed” is determined by reference to normative standards or relative ones. As with many legal questions, the answer is, It depends. While there are normative standards for attire, at the end of the day, proper dress is about respect for your host. You should dress the way that … Read moreBlending In
Perhaps some of you have, at one time or another, taken a step back from your surroundings and asked, “How did I come to be here?” Admittedly, one is most likely to ask this question when something significant has gone completely sideways, but self-reflection should not be undertaken exclusively during dark moments! This … Read moreThe Dress That Started It All
To cross the Rubicon is to take a bold, intentional step from which there is no turning back. Mother, Desh: Look away! You won’t be able to unsee what follows. Everyone else, settle in and feast your eyes. This dress is, unquestionably, the most advanced thing I’ve ever put on. It … Read moreCome, Cross the Rubicon with Me
In the District of Columbia, registered voters and licensed drivers are summoned for jury duty in the Superior Court every two years, almost like clockwork. As you can see from the pictures, I am completely respectable in Business Casual, but I’m not that dressed-up. Out of a pool of 100 prospective … Read moreWhy We Should Dress Up for Jury Duty
For many people, clothing is medium of artistic self-expression. Clothing can also be a way to express, and advance, your values — and given that clothing might be the largest discretionary line-item in your budget, that’s worth thinking about. What do I mean? I am not talking about wearing slogan t-shirts. (Remember: Legible clothing … Read moreVoting with Your Wallet
Approximately one year ago, I was musing about how quickly the styles of the 90s and 00s had been recycled and I thought, Thank God crop tops haven’t come back. They were too awful even for fast fashion to resurrect. Those thoughts had barely formed in my head when crop tops started appearing in … Read moreLament: Crop Tops Rise from the Dead
When I was a young associate at my firm, one of the partners asked me to participate in a panel at a professional conference that is always heavily attended. He asked me because, in his words, “You’ll add diversity. The conference sponsors care about that.” Oddly touched and weirdly motivated by this invitation to … Read moreThe Case for Being Properly Dressed
Nice clothes are a type of armor: They can give you confidence, and they may even embolden you. Nice clothes have a corresponding effect on the people you encounter: If you are well-dressed, people will be nicer to you, and will even defer to you. (Sad, but true.) So, in encouraging you to be … Read moreThe Case for Being Well-Dressed