One of PeaceBang’s pet peeves is meeting clergy who pshaw and poo-poo fashion rules, as though fashion is a shallow subject which they, in their mighty spiritualness, dwell far above and need not consider.
Me to them:
Fashion is as ancient an art form as is liturgy.
Don’t dismiss and denigrate what you don’t know.
Fashion is about aesthetics. It conveys crucial information about status and identity in a society. It is a central form of non-verbal communication in our shared environment, cross-culturally and globally.
A certain degree of fashion literacy is essential for those in public life and leadership.
“People should be able to wear what they want and be comfortable” is a meaningless statement of hyper-individualism. Leaders who manage to do well with that attitude are almost always conventionally attractive, slim and probably white. Draw in a deep breath and smell the privilege!
Fashion rules are sometimes arbitrary and contrived by Fashion People setting trends (“If you’re not wearing PUCE, you’re NOT DRESSED!” “Tulle pants are IT this season!”) but most of the time they reflect political realities (eg war, trade routes, huge cultural events) that start with the people or one influential person (say, tying a rag around a part of their body to absorb sweat or to dab a quill pen on while writing), become popularized and are then interpreted artistically by designers who send them out in beautified form as fashion.
No one knows who started the White After Labor Day “rule,” exactly, but it probably has its origins with retailers who wanted to pull in new inventory for the autumn and sell more clothes. Making the color white a “summer” color was a brilliant marketing ploy that also makes sense: white reflects, rather than absorbs, light. It keeps the body cooler under the hot sun. When the days get cooler, it’s nice to be able to clean and store all those summer whites (especially for servants whose job it was to keep all those whites bleached and pristine for the privileged classes).
It was steamy as Hell yesterday so I decided to wear white for its psychological association with coolness, post-Labor Day be damned. I paired it with a very autumnal hued skirt (burgundy) and a floral patterned shirt. The shoes are all-season. Click photos to enlarge.
“Why yes, I’m wearing white after Labor Day!”
Fluevog heel detail:
If you’re going to break the rules, just make sure to think it through: why is the rule part of our culture? Why are you breaking it? Will you still be appropriately and respectfully dressed? Is there anyone with whom you seek to connect who might be distracted, put-off or offended by your choice? Do you care if they are? Can you afford to not care, if you don’t? Is your position in the organization or group so secure and respected that you can afford to not care about overturning cultural norms or traditions? Answer that last question carefully. Leaders with an “I don’t care what you unenlightened people think” attitude about clothing usually don’t care about other things that matter a lot to other people. They won’t last long in leadership if they actually ever attain any beyond their title.
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