HOF: What Are You Wearing Right Now - Part III - Page 540

Originally Posted by Gdot 

Holdfast,

I find your ruminations on the topic of attire to be most interesting.

One of things I noticed almost immediately upon first reviewing the WAYWRN thread was that it appeared to me that you specifically dressed to be 'approachable' as opposed to 'commanding'.

Would that be a fair assessment?

I'd like to think it's a little more nuanced than that, but I may simply be fooling myself. I'll let you decide!

I choose looks that reflect a sense of amusement with the world, while still being rooted in its traditions.

I want people to smile or even chuckle when they see me. At worst, I want them slightly perplexed. Now, depending on their personalities and tastes, the amusement may well be because they're laughing at me, instead of laughing with me! I know that, and don't mind that, because whichever way they're smiling, it has a very useful impact on the subsequent conversation. Think about it this way: if they "get it" and are smiling with you, you've already got them on your side; if they're laughing at you, they're still opening themselves up emotionally in a way that allows you to probe areas that they might otherwise have clammed up about. Never be afraid of a smile; it's a remarkably useful tool, from whatever origin point it arises.

But very importantly, I need tailored clothing to get the right effect. The formality of tailored looks means that they unconsciously associated with a legacy of respect, sobriety and competence. If a tailored look makes someone smile, you can combine those pre-existing associations with the benefits of amusement I already mentioned. A non-tailored look that caused amusement would eventually just result in scorn because of its casual look. It's much harder for that to happen with tailored looks; their residual social meaning lets you retain an aura of competency despite causing amusement. That formality is crucial, given the conversational style I have with clients.

Things I don't try to shoot for are "power" or "elegance". Power can be scary, elegance is often intimidating. Neither image suits my needs. Amusement? Now that's a useful psychological crowbar.

That's one school of thought, but it's directly relevant to why we get dressed every day, so... :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by timotune 

Day 2 in Seoul:
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

Popular it may well be these days, but I don't find lowish rise, tight capri style trousers at all pleasing to the eye. It's not just the trousers themselves, it also that they exaggerate the amount of torso showing, esp. when a jacket is not worn. The belt appears nice, and the shoes are quite fun.