In Defense of Dressing: An Editorial by Nick Bernold

It is quite likely that you have seen me in the halls. I’m easily recognizable as the one in the bow tie. This is not an attempt at individuality, in fact it is just the opposite. It is a plea for

conformity: a conformity other  than the one we have now.

       The standard wardrobe for teenagers and young adults around the country is as follows: T-Shirt, sweatpants, sneakers. We also see jeans. I think that most would say that the school is above average in dressing habits. Shirts with glaringly idiotic slogans tend to be kept to a minimum. Sometimes one will see a collared shirt or a dress. Still, these sightings are rare.

        The root of the problem dates back to the 1960s. As a ferocious culture war, which would change the very way we live in all aspects of life raged on, clothes became a battlefield. In opposition to their elders who wore a strictly established uniform, young rebels began to disregard sartorial standards in an effort to antagonize Authority and express the disconnect between themselves and the older generation.However, this was not an expression of individuality for long. Humans, being the sheep that they normally are, began to adopt this new look as their default. As the late Sixties devolved into the Seventies and Eighties, a larger and larger slice of the population came to dress in this new manner. Whereas conformity and composure had been the old

marching orders, we now valued “comfort” and “originality”. Dubious

claims both, but the second is most certainly false. Quickly

originality” became status quo and any kind of revolutionary purpose

was suffocated.

The main argument I hear today from my peers is comfort. This

argument seems to have trumped any claim of originality. Please do not

be offended, however, when I declare that “comfort” has become

synonymous with laziness. No, sweatpants are not more comfortable than

corduroys. It is simply that they are now the uniform. By wearing the

same thing as everybody else, you subtract one more thing from those

you have to think about each day. Sadly, this is accepted. From the

moment that the easiest choice is also the most expedient, there is no

chance for change. The power of the desire to not stand out or wake up

ten minutes latter will always trump that of action.

       And let us not say that this is only a youngster’s problem! This

infection has crept through age and profession. What an atrocity

casual workplaces are! They tell children that not even at work do

their parents have to look presentable. Jeans can truly pass anywhere.

       It is maybe at this point the my thesis overreaches, but I think not.

I would dare to say that this crumbling sartorial culture directly

correlates with a culture in collapse. In our dress we say: efficiency

is essential, the summum bonum is relaxation, have no concern for your

neighbor (Make no mistake, others are the main beneficiaries of good

dressing. It is they who are looking at you all day.) I hope that most

would agree that these values are not ones we would care to instill in

future generations. Care, thought, respect, discipline- these are the

social mores  we raise up and also those which go into a respectable

appearance.

       I truly believe that if we were to dress better as a society, we would

also act better as a society. The correlation has already been

scientifically proven: pride is contagious. So are norms. If a

minority went against the current of sloth and began to change the

tide, not only would pride in what they are wearing be transmitted to

other endeavors in life, but they would also provoke a turn around in

the attitude of others.

       We must act quickly for our own good, as well as that of others.

American culture has spread a fantastic amount of good through the

world but now it is threatening to spread its clothing norms too.

Already traditionally well dressed countries such as Italy and France

are starting to crumble. A larger resistance hangs on there than here,

but not for long. It would do the world some good for us to change.

Not only aesthetically, but also concretely. Small manufacturers are

being squeezed out, factories shut down, quality materials are sitting

unused in dusty warehouses. The fad of atrocious clothing favors the

cheap buck, shoddy craftsmanship and oversea labor. How can one

justify hiring a skilled tailor and sourcing materials from venerable

mills across the United States, Italy and Scotland when what sells is

a ratty T-Shirt with a logo? We must ask ourselves how it is that

these items, walking billboards for companies which we pay for, have

become hotter commodities than the finely crafted pieces that are

being choked out of existence.

       For any perceived pompousness I do not apologize. I gladly grant to

whoever would like that in the halls I may look a little ridiculous in

my “fancy clothes” next to all the other students. Still, it is

exactly for that reason that things must change. Dressing is not, as

some would contend, an expression of individuality. It is an expression

of an era’s spirt. Alone, someone dressed differently always stands

out. After a while his disharmony with the ensemble becomes a

nuisance. We must raise the collective level instead of lowering it.

We must take pride in who we are and broadcast an image of competence

to the world. A more beautiful world will certainly result.