Dress for Failure Did I Cross The Line

Dress for Failure â€" Did I Cross The Line I understand my two posts on fashion might appear to be some elitest take on what we should be doing (ie. supporting status quo, as per the comment in yesterdays post here).  I am not writing this stuff to show Im going along with status quo, or bitter or envious, or ignorantly American and I certainly dont write it to remove all joy and personality from dressing for work.   The Dress for Failure posts (for men and for women) are not a list of *my* rules.  When I hire someone for JibberJobber, I wont care if they wear flip flops or pajamas as Im in my PJs or shorts all the time.  Even after I shower, I get back into snuggly, comfy clothes (because I can).  Sometimes I dress up a little more, from jeans to suit, depending on what Im doing (todays a suit day, as Im presenting to 125 advertising professionals in Salt Lake City). The main reason I wrote the post on Monday was because I am fashion-challenged, and Im guessing others are too.  Some people just havent ever heard that you should align your shirt line and pants zipper (gig line), and Im surprised that people still wear white socks with suit pants (except for the creative  types, who do it on purpose, but their outfit somehow seems to look good). Is that lady I didnt hire better off somewhere else, considering I judged her based on her miniskirt?  Im sure she is I dont deny that.  My point in even bringing her up was this:   People Judge Us.  All The Time. If they judge us for who we are, and dont want to be around us, then screw them.  Judging sucks.  Stereotyping and bigotry and all that other stuff plain sucks. If you dont like me because Im Mexican-American, sorry, that aint changing and Im not ashamed.  If you dont like me because I live in Utah and you assume Im Mormon, too bad Im not moving just yet.  Believe it or not, Ive been introduced as The Mormon (as opposed to Jason)in business settings, even by people who dont ask what my religion is, but assume everyone who gets on a plane in Utah is Mormon.  And recently I had a phone call with a Baptist who made it very clear that even though Mormons are completely wrong, even farced, we could still talk business.  Wasnt it big of him to put aside my religious beliefs so he could pick my brain about career stuff? Bigotry.  Stereotyping.  Judging.   Its all around us. And if I dress like a dork, or completely backwards, and it affects my interview results, or my networking ability, and Im desparately trying to figure out how to get the paycheck started again, maybe I do need someone to give me a list of 10 things that I may be doing wrong 10 things that my friends dont know how to tell me. These posts werent about status quo, and creating a society of me-too dressers.  It was a light-hearted attempt to throw out some ideas to help people who wanted to be helped.  If it rubs you the wrong way, thats okay.  Go out and dress the way you want Im not hoping to take that away at all. But it *might* have an impact on who you work with, or how you work with them.  If you dont get a job, or an opportunity, because of how you dress, then it probably is better for you and them.  Especially if you intentionally dressed the way you did (as opposed to me, who would have done it cluelessly). Dress for Failure â€" Did I Cross The Line I understand my two posts on fashion might appear to be some elitest take on what we should be doing (ie. supporting status quo, as per the comment in yesterdays post here).  I am not writing this stuff to show Im going along with status quo, or bitter or envious, or ignorantly American and I certainly dont write it to remove all joy and personality from dressing for work.   The Dress for Failure posts (for men and for women) are not a list of *my* rules.  When I hire someone for JibberJobber, I wont care if they wear flip flops or pajamas as Im in my PJs or shorts all the time.  Even after I shower, I get back into snuggly, comfy clothes (because I can).  Sometimes I dress up a little more, from jeans to suit, depending on what Im doing (todays a suit day, as Im presenting to 125 advertising professionals in Salt Lake City). The main reason I wrote the post on Monday was because I am fashion-challenged, and Im guessing others are too.  Some people just havent ever heard that you should align your shirt line and pants zipper (gig line), and Im surprised that people still wear white socks with suit pants (except for the creative  types, who do it on purpose, but their outfit somehow seems to look good). Is that lady I didnt hire better off somewhere else, considering I judged her based on her miniskirt?  Im sure she is I dont deny that.  My point in even bringing her up was this:   People Judge Us.  All The Time. If they judge us for who we are, and dont want to be around us, then screw them.  Judging sucks.  Stereotyping and bigotry and all that other stuff plain sucks. If you dont like me because Im Mexican-American, sorry, that aint changing and Im not ashamed.  If you dont like me because I live in Utah and you assume Im Mormon, too bad Im not moving just yet.  Believe it or not, Ive been introduced as The Mormon (as opposed to Jason)in business settings, even by people who dont ask what my religion is, but assume everyone who gets on a plane in Utah is Mormon.  And recently I had a phone call with a Baptist who made it very clear that even though Mormons are completely wrong, even farced, we could still talk business.  Wasnt it big of him to put aside my religious beliefs so he could pick my brain about career stuff? Bigotry.  Stereotyping.  Judging.   Its all around us. And if I dress like a dork, or completely backwards, and it affects my interview results, or my networking ability, and Im desparately trying to figure out how to get the paycheck started again, maybe I do need someone to give me a list of 10 things that I may be doing wrong 10 things that my friends dont know how to tell me. These posts werent about status quo, and creating a society of me-too dressers.  It was a light-hearted attempt to throw out some ideas to help people who wanted to be helped.  If it rubs you the wrong way, thats okay.  Go out and dress the way you want Im not hoping to take that away at all. But it *might* have an impact on who you work with, or how you work with them.  If you dont get a job, or an opportunity, because of how you dress, then it probably is better for you and them.  Especially if you intentionally dressed the way you did (as opposed to me, who would have done it cluelessly). Dress for Failure â€" Did I Cross The Line I understand my two posts on fashion might appear to be some elitest take on what we should be doing (ie. supporting status quo, as per the comment in yesterdays post here).  I am not writing this stuff to show Im going along with status quo, or bitter or envious, or ignorantly American and I certainly dont write it to remove all joy and personality from dressing for work.   The Dress for Failure posts (for men and for women) are not a list of *my* rules.  When I hire someone for JibberJobber, I wont care if they wear flip flops or pajamas as Im in my PJs or shorts all the time.  Even after I shower, I get back into snuggly, comfy clothes (because I can).  Sometimes I dress up a little more, from jeans to suit, depending on what Im doing (todays a suit day, as Im presenting to 125 advertising professionals in Salt Lake City). The main reason I wrote the post on Monday was because I am fashion-challenged, and Im guessing others are too.  Some people just havent ever heard that you should align your shirt line and pants zipper (gig line), and Im surprised that people still wear white socks with suit pants (except for the creative  types, who do it on purpose, but their outfit somehow seems to look good). Is that lady I didnt hire better off somewhere else, considering I judged her based on her miniskirt?  Im sure she is I dont deny that.  My point in even bringing her up was this:   People Judge Us.  All The Time. If they judge us for who we are, and dont want to be around us, then screw them.  Judging sucks.  Stereotyping and bigotry and all that other stuff plain sucks. If you dont like me because Im Mexican-American, sorry, that aint changing and Im not ashamed.  If you dont like me because I live in Utah and you assume Im Mormon, too bad Im not moving just yet.  Believe it or not, Ive been introduced as The Mormon (as opposed to Jason)in business settings, even by people who dont ask what my religion is, but assume everyone who gets on a plane in Utah is Mormon.  And recently I had a phone call with a Baptist who made it very clear that even though Mormons are completely wrong, even farced, we could still talk business.  Wasnt it big of him to put aside my religious beliefs so he could pick my brain about career stuff? Bigotry.  Stereotyping.  Judging.   Its all around us. And if I dress like a dork, or completely backwards, and it affects my interview results, or my networking ability, and Im desparately trying to figure out how to get the paycheck started again, maybe I do need someone to give me a list of 10 things that I may be doing wrong 10 things that my friends dont know how to tell me. These posts werent about status quo, and creating a society of me-too dressers.  It was a light-hearted attempt to throw out some ideas to help people who wanted to be helped.  If it rubs you the wrong way, thats okay.  Go out and dress the way you want Im not hoping to take that away at all. But it *might* have an impact on who you work with, or how you work with them.  If you dont get a job, or an opportunity, because of how you dress, then it probably is better for you and them.  Especially if you intentionally dressed the way you did (as opposed to me, who would have done it cluelessly). Dress for Failure â€" Did I Cross The Line I understand my two posts on fashion might appear to be some elitest take on what we should be doing (ie. supporting status quo, as per the comment in yesterdays post here).  I am not writing this stuff to show Im going along with status quo, or bitter or envious, or ignorantly American and I certainly dont write it to remove all joy and personality from dressing for work.   The Dress for Failure posts (for men and for women) are not a list of *my* rules.  When I hire someone for JibberJobber, I wont care if they wear flip flops or pajamas as Im in my PJs or shorts all the time.  Even after I shower, I get back into snuggly, comfy clothes (because I can).  Sometimes I dress up a little more, from jeans to suit, depending on what Im doing (todays a suit day, as Im presenting to 125 advertising professionals in Salt Lake City). The main reason I wrote the post on Monday was because I am fashion-challenged, and Im guessing others are too.  Some people just havent ever heard that you should align your shirt line and pants zipper (gig line), and Im surprised that people still wear white socks with suit pants (except for the creative  types, who do it on purpose, but their outfit somehow seems to look good). Is that lady I didnt hire better off somewhere else, considering I judged her based on her miniskirt?  Im sure she is I dont deny that.  My point in even bringing her up was this:   People Judge Us.  All The Time. If they judge us for who we are, and dont want to be around us, then screw them.  Judging sucks.  Stereotyping and bigotry and all that other stuff plain sucks. If you dont like me because Im Mexican-American, sorry, that aint changing and Im not ashamed.  If you dont like me because I live in Utah and you assume Im Mormon, too bad Im not moving just yet.  Believe it or not, Ive been introduced as The Mormon (as opposed to Jason)in business settings, even by people who dont ask what my religion is, but assume everyone who gets on a plane in Utah is Mormon.  And recently I had a phone call with a Baptist who made it very clear that even though Mormons are completely wrong, even farced, we could still talk business.  Wasnt it big of him to put aside my religious beliefs so he could pick my brain about career stuff? Bigotry.  Stereotyping.  Judging.   Its all around us. And if I dress like a dork, or completely backwards, and it affects my interview results, or my networking ability, and Im desparately trying to figure out how to get the paycheck started again, maybe I do need someone to give me a list of 10 things that I may be doing wrong 10 things that my friends dont know how to tell me. These posts werent about status quo, and creating a society of me-too dressers.  It was a light-hearted attempt to throw out some ideas to help people who wanted to be helped.  If it rubs you the wrong way, thats okay.  Go out and dress the way you want Im not hoping to take that away at all. But it *might* have an impact on who you work with, or how you work with them.  If you dont get a job, or an opportunity, because of how you dress, then it probably is better for you and them.  Especially if you intentionally dressed the way you did (as opposed to me, who would have done it cluelessly).