Fashion

When I graduated from college I felt a lot of pressure. I graduated with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Journalism from Ohio University, and now I had to go out and actually do something with it.

I sent resumes out everywhere. I felt desperate. I feared spending all this time in college and then not being able to do anything with it. I told myself that I was going to take the first offer I was given.

I had graduated in December. Since I transferred from Shippensburg to Ohio I was on the five-and-a-half year plan. After graduating I was doing some writing as a correspondent for the local paper. But it was just part-time stuff, not a full-time staff job.

Easter came around and my Uncle and Aunt joined us in Myerstown for dinner. My Uncle asked me what I planned to do now that I graduated. I told him I was looking for jobs everywhere.

Suddenly he said, "Why don't you do what my son did? Travel around the country for a year and smoke a lot of pot?" Suddenly I heard this loud "THUNK" under the table. My Aunt had just kicked my Uncle. LOL

Shortly after that I earned a job at a newspaper in Philadelphia. I took it.

When I started the job, I assumed that it was a suit and tie position. And that is what I wore to work everyday. But after a couple of weeks I realized that the suit and tie were not working with this job at all.

Sure there were days when a suit and tie were necessary. Some days I had to cover court cases, or deal with city officials, and I dressed appropriately for the occasion.

But most days I dealt with normal, average folks around the city. I realized very quickly that the average folks really didn't trust me in my suit and tie. They weren't opening up to me and gathering information for stories in a formal outfit was very difficult.

So I started dressing like an everyday guy and it worked. People trusted me more, opened up to me more, and my stories became stronger and stronger.

This worked for me, because I've never been comfortable in a suit and a tie. I never understood the purpose of a tie. For me it was just something to drip lunch on.

Once a fellow reporter told me that he loved ties because of the historical significance of them. I thought about it for a second and responded "Well men used to wear powdered wigs too. But I don't see you wearing one of those."

As I branched away from newspaper and entered the field of art and design I discovered unique fashion requirements. I learned over time, as I met with more and more clients and potential clients, that people were generally fearful of designers who looked too business like. They didn't trust them.

People expected designers to be a little whacky. People did not want to see designers in a tie.

That worked for me. I like to dress for comfort and practicality. I've found that if I'm honest with myself, and let that reflect in my wardrobe, that projects an honest reflection to my clients. And more often than not, it works.

Now I didn't run out and get any tattoos, or piercings, or dye my hair or anything. That's not me. I just dressed in jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers. If people ever questioned my professionalism I could quickly put them at ease when we started speaking.

Recently I purchased something that I have wanted all my life, but for some reason had never acted upon. It arrived yesterday and I was very excited - a Rolling Stones tongue logo t-shirt. Now that's my kind of work wear!

I think I'll wear it to the medical center this morning where I have to have some bloodwork done and tinkle in a cup.