There are several reasons for which people wear clothes.

First, historically, primitives started to wear a sort of, I would say, the initial versions of the modern clothes to protect themselves from weather conditions: Either cold, windy or very hot days.

Second, through the evolution process of humanity, individuals adopted clothes for comfortability when sitting or performing some tasks.

Third, to comply with social codes.

Fourth, for vanity, as an adornment to make an impact on others, persuade and accomplish some goals.

In my opinion, the first and the second reasons are necessary and therefore totally valid. So, let’s concentrate on the third and fourth in one shot.

By nature, human beings are social creatures that need permanent interaction with others, to grow, evolve, improve, and find a sense of purpose in life; that implies, we must follow certain rules set by society in order to have harmonious coexistence.

I agree with the establishment of guidelines for effective interaction; however, what I consider vain and sometimes ‘foolish’ is the behavior of people having a conceited life, based on materialism of unacceptably expensive pieces of garment they wear just for the sake of impressing others by hiding their fragile personalities.

One typical example I had to sadly experience at my work place (now, I don’t as I quit) was the “rule” of wearing ties or “business attire” for special occasions.

Why the heck do I need to pretend something I don’t feel comfortable with?

As a human, does the other person wearing an elegant and expensive suit have more value than me? The answer should be no, but the reality shows the opposite.

It’s paradoxical and un-acceptable that we usually please strangers more than our family. We don’t argue with our boss, colleagues or business partners for obvious reasons: we will lose their trust and any kind of relationship. And one way to show we care about them is wearing something different of what we wear at home.

So, why don’t we always treat our beloved relatives with superior respect, consideration and affection? Why don’t show them that special treatment by wearing at home the same clothes we wear at work?

Because it’s very uncomfortable! I don’t it and will never do it. But what I think we can do is stop pretending being a completely different person outside your house. We can just be authentic, wearing clean clothes and some expensive if you can afford paying from your own money and not through loans. And this a key aspect.

It’s absurd to get debts to buy articles you don’t actually need but feel a kind of social pressure to fit into a special social status. This is what I called a degraded capitalism. Fortunately, in some sectors, this tendency is changing, and now more importance is being giving to moral values and charismatic personalities. 

I remember an anecdote in a previous job where I have been working for 3 years. Since there was a vacancy for a better position, I decided to apply. It was in the same department and with the same manager. Despite it was an informal promotion, I had to follow the HR standard process. I was fine with that; however, when my manager told me: “You have to attend an interview with me just as another job application and of course you have to wait suit and tie.” I was reluctantly fine with the interview and it really shocked me the flummery of wearing special clothes for these reasons:

• The standard policy requires people to wear casual clothes
• It was an informal interview
• The manager never wore anything close to what he was demanded

In order to keep my job, I did what the manager said, and attended punctually, but there was no interview whatsoever, as he cleared stated: “This is just to pretend a formal process.” He just talked about personal matters.

I told myself: “I’m the only responsible of this absurdity.” But the straw that broke the camel’s back was the demand for me to wear suit and tie. Therefore, I just waited three months before resigning.

I feel sorry for those people who cannot afford quitting their jobs just because of family commitments.

Judging people for the clothes they wear doesn’t resonate in me at all. We should devote our time and efforts to identify the abilities that everyone for sure has.

Bottom line

If you have some experiences or opinions in this regard, please share them on the comments below, so we can all learn from each other.

• Do you think wearing special clothes should matter nowadays?
• Does this topic apply equally to women and me?
• Are you another victim of a materialistic society?
• How do you deal with your kids regarding fashion?
• Have you ever thought about a massively ‘naked’ world in summer?