I was recently channel surfing and came upon the “Molly B Polka Party” on the RFD channel.
My business trips to central Pennsylvania were always made better by good polka music and cold beer. That was reason enough to continue watching.
The music was what you would expect, but my attention was soon diverted to the couples dancing. The entertainment value of their dancing style was exceeded only by their dress. It went from “Dancing at the Ritz” to “Ma and Pa Kettle”.
I don’t know the origin of the phrase, “Dress for Success” but have heard it for most of my life. My early wardrobe was mostly clothes that an older cousin had outgrown. I did not have a lot of clothes or stylish ones; but, they were always clean. I was taught early that your appearance was important for a good impression.
This stuck with me and I am somewhat particular about my dress when in public. My college baseball coach’s philosophy was “You can’t be a player if you don’t look like one”.
I feel the same way about my golf attire. My wife fussed about how many golf shirts I had; so, I cleaned out the closet. I am now down to reasonable 71 short sleeved ones. This was overdue as I found some advertising courses or companies that no longer exist.
Once in a company golf tournament I was paired with the boyfriend of an employee. I questioned his talent and commitment when he showed up in sandals, cut-off jeans, and a Twisted Sister tee-shirt. He was no help, and should have gone to their concert instead.
Remember when people dressed up for no apparent reason? Look at old movies or TV shows. There was June Clever running the vacuum cleaner in high heels and a pearl necklace. For years my wife wore high heels to work. We were married before I realized how short she was.
While in management, I wore a coat and tie to work every day. I once figured that between work and Church I wore a necktie six days a week for nearly 25 years. I have seen lot of changes in ties during my time. There were the wide and colorful one of the late 40’s and early 50’s. They shrunk to a very thin one during the rock and roll years.
They later widen back to something in between. I am not sure what’s current now. I only wear them to funerals and weddings; and, the few I have date back to the Nixon administration.
The demise of suites and ties began in the workplace with “Casual Fridays”. This went well until an employee showed up in a sweat suit and tennis shoes. The suit looked like it had actually lived up to its name. That brought the term “Business Casual” and ground rules into existence.
After retirement, I spent several years as a consultant working from home. On rare occasions I went into the office and dressed appropriately. The other days saw me in anything from pajamas to tee shirts and shorts. The growth of the internet opened the door for millions working at home, and dressing accordingly.
We’ve come a long way from the animal skin clothing of the Stone Age, through powdered wigs, starched collars, zoot suits, three piece suits, and Leisure suits. . At least, we still have some semblance of taste. We haven’t gotten to a striped jacket with polka dot shirt and checked pants yet.
Oh wait, I think I saw that last week in Wal-mart. Anyway,
God bless and have a great day.
May 22, 2021 at 10:15PM
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Rowell's Words: Dress for Success | Editorial Columnists | dailyadvance.com - The Daily Advance
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