I’ve been told on occasion I clean up well. That usually means a person is so surprised to see me wearing a dress shirt and/or tie they have no control over projectile vomiting that nonsense phrase in my direction. What does that even mean? Is it an implication that I go through life “unclean” most of the time? Does it assert that I forgo washing my shorts and t-shirts regularly, in favor of simply pulling them out of the pile and Febreze-ing them for re-wear? Does it I suggest that I don’t regularly shower in favor of having B.O.?
Wait — do I have B.O.? You guys would tell me, right?
I’ve decided to just file this with “Things White People Say” and move on. (Send your letters of complaint to Mary, P.O. Box Calm Down, Snowflake, AZ.)
Photo by Royal Anwar on Unsplash
Over the last decade, my policy has been to wear a tie to job interviews and funerals. And I haven’t been to any funerals. My hesitation to “clean up” is not because I don’t like looking sharp — a word my father used to use and I’ve come to accept as a perfectly fine descriptive word but I also have started using the word “slacks” so that may tell you something. Rather, I don’t like getting dressed up. Perhaps if Rosie from The Jetsons could drop-kick me into a suit every morning, I wouldn’t mind walking around looking like I am someone who lives to work rather than works to live.
So, bypassing the process would make a difference … temporarily. However, after two hours of being dressed up, I will undoubtedly be thinking about when I can get out of this clown suit. I mean, that’s plenty of time for enough people to see how nice I can look and maybe even capture a few pictures for posterity (or, perhaps a better word would be proof).
I’ve been lucky enough that for my entire professional career I’ve had the luxury of being able to wear whatever I want to the office. (I understand this policy can be a slippery slope. For example; I once worked at a place that had to include “No Chaps” in the dress code section of its employee handbook. Now, why do you suppose they put that in there?) I’m not one to push that envelope too far, although the flip-flop of my flip-flops as I ascended the stairs at Echo when I worked here full-time was a signal to everyone that I was approaching.
Photo by Hamza Baig on Unsplash
Let’s just say, I like to be comfortable. A lot of folks advise you should dress for the job you want, not for the job you have. That’s why I always dress like a lottery winner. And, honestly, I think all of us should.
It’s certainly not my place to tell people they shouldn’t wear a suit to work every day. But how many people stop to ask themselves why they are doing it? Does it make them more effective? Does it recharge Kevin’s brain so he can crunch those numbers better, or provide
Steve with the inspiration to draw sketches of houses?
The simplest answer is that it is “professional.” But what is dressing professionally, other than what society has deemed as such? People adhere to that notion of dressing like a Stepford employee because that’s what their father did, and his father and his father. Some of the most unprofessional people I’ve met were wearing Armani, and some of the most professional were wearing Adidas.
My work-attire choices may have cost me in the past, sure. There’s no question it is the main reason I never became a lawyer or a captain of industry.
Still, I think our country would be much more chill (a word I am using to counterbalance “sharp” and “slacks”) if we all just did business in casual attire.
I understand many of you won’t or can’t join me in this, but I’ll still be dressing like I’m always headed to a BBQ.
Lexi Morrison, business owner at House of Colour Phoenix is bringing confidence and color to Phoenix residents and reforming her services to address the need in redefined self-care.
Since the onset of the pandemic, many of us have let ourselves go, or gotten out of practice with public life, whether that's dressing appropriately for the office, an event, or just a night out on the town.
After months in track pants and tees, do you even know what color dress, neck tie or hair highlights would work for you?
Here's how Lexi can help.
Lexi provides premier color and style analysis services to men, women, and children of all ages to find what makes them look and feel their best selves.
Lexi educates hundreds of locals every year with their perfect colors and styles, providing confidence and insight on what to shop for in the future.
Here's how it works:
Our Journey through the House of Color Process-Meghan Tinker from House of Color youtu.be
During her style development consultation, Lexi shows you how to create an easy wardrobe specific to your body type and personality, providing confidence with what you wear everyday.
With color analysis appointments, Lexi walks through seasonal color palettes to determine which colors look best with you, and give you the natural glow with your skin, eyes, and hair. Once your colors are discovered, she shows you a 90 second makeup look and your "WOW colors", the colors that make you feel like the best version of yourself.
"At House of Colour we enhance your natural beauty by discovering your best colors using precision-dyed drapes and natural light. Each person is unique and falls into one of the four seasonal categories: Winter, Spring, Summer, or Autumn," says Lexi.
Lexi Morrison
You can even try it at home and see if Lexi's color pointers work for you:
Lexi's Tips For Brightening Up Your Winter Self
- Winter is a “cool” season, meaning your skin undertone is blue-based.
- You look best in colors that are clear, bright, vivid, or icy.
- Did you know? Winters are the only season that folks can wear black and it helps give you a natural glow! Black clothing, black eye makeup, etc.
- Winter colors are saturated and contrasting. They do well in jewel tones as well as icy, pale colors. When you dress, Winters look best with a light color, a dark color, and a bright color from their spectrum. This is to achieve that “high-contrast” look that is so flattering on them.
- For hair color, Winters also look best with contrasting colors. Black, white, gray/silver, ashy blonds, or cool browns. They do best to avoid golden, auburn, or other warm tones in their hair.
- For jewelry and accessories, Winters can wear white pearls, silver, platinum, white gold, or gunmetal.