

What to Wear - karjaluoto
http://www.deliberatism.com/blog/what-to-wear/

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ajpiano
This post completely misses the point that clothing can be an enjoyable form
of self-expression, and that picking out what you're going to wear need not be
some onerous chore. Instead of acting like it's completely unreasonable of
"society," writ large, to judge you by your outward appearance, consider
taking ownership of it. Strapping on the most boring thing you can possibly
find and wearing it until it disintegrates isn't going to solve the problem
that people aren't judging you by your "intellect, actions, or humour."

Distilling clothing down to its original "purpose" and saying "don't use it
for anything else" is naïve and dismissive of the human experience. I suppose
the author also doesn't keep any art on on the walls of his shelter and eats
nothing but flavourless meat and vegetables?

I realise that a lot of people, and programmers especially, just aren't that
into clothes, and that's fine. But that doesn't mean you /have/ to be bland. I
love how the piece ends by essentially saying "wear the same uninteresting
clothes every day, blend into the crowd, and THEN enjoy as the mundanity of
your life somehow _decreases_." I hope I'm not alone in thinking, "Wat?"

If this is the solution to a problem people are having, it sure is a
depressing one.

~~~
karjaluoto
Actually, I used to really enjoy clothing. At a certain point, though, I
realized how much time and money I put into it. I then asked whether it was
really worth all the effort.

I do keep art on the walls (in fact, I used to be a painter). I eat many
varied things, and find a great deal of pleasure in doing so. I read a wide
variety of books, watch a great many films, and make lots of different things.

If you love clothing, indulge that passion. There are a number of other forms
of self-expression, though, and many that are much more gratifying/useful.

------
jinfiesto
Dislike. I used to have an unhealthy obsession with fashion. While I'm over
that, I still love clothes. Being fashionable has had a huge impact on my
life. It sounds superficial, but clothes really do make the man.

People really do treat you better if you can dress competently. Even if that
sounds shallow, and it probably is, the boost that looking good gives your
confidence can be very profound.

I don't advocate that everyone devote time to following fashion on a daily
basis, but learning to put patterns and colors together goes a long way. You
can learn the basics of "How to dress" in less than a day.

Really. I don't see why people make such a huge fuss about this. Especially if
you're a man. Being fashionable takes almost zero time. If you're afraid that
you're going to spend 2 hours getting ready, like a girl, realize that most of
the time that women spend getting ready is put into makeup and hair. If you
have a few good outfits, you just throw them on like any other clothes. Unless
you can't operate a zipper or buttons, it's not much harder than pulling on a
hoodie...

~~~
karjaluoto
Well selected clothing can bring certain benefits, but listen to what you're
saying: Do you really believe that they "make the man"?

We keep hearing these things in advertising, and then we start to actually
think they're real. We've been led to believe that the underwear we buy will
somehow make us better, or more desirable people. This is pure bullshit.

If you like buying nice clothes, fine. Just don't overestimate their value.

~~~
jinfiesto
Obviously I don't believe that clothes literally make the man. But your
"internal" value always needs selling. Clothes are a major way we represent
ourselves to other people.

If you don't like buying nice clothes, fine. Don't underestimate their value.

Sassy-ness aside, couldn't resist the jab, our clothes really do make us
better and more desirable. At least in the way other people see us. Certainly
wearing nicer clothes won't make you a better programmer. It might get you a
better programming job though.

~~~
karjaluoto
It cuts the other way too.

I'm a partner in an agency. We used to wear suits to meetings. After not
winning a contract with one organization, I asked why they didn't choose us.
(During our meetings, we seemed to have established a good rapport.)

He explained that everything we said made sense, but that we were "too
corporate."

We have many more clients now. I wear the same understated thing to almost all
of our meeting. Our sales have never been higher. Turns out, our clients care
more about how good we are than the way I choose to dress.

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breadbox
An odd post for HN, it seems to me. Kind of like a post arguing that science
fiction is worth reading: you are preaching to the choir here.

Myself, I've had this aesthetic since childhood. Not only does function-over-
form clothing save time for more important activities, it prevents
accidentally clashing colors (and other such faux pax that people like me are
largely blind to). A couple of years ago I went out to a special occasion
wearing a button-down shirt and an xkcd tie. Over the course of an afternoon I
got complimented by three attractive strangers.

I cannot in good conscience endorse this post.

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thewordis
"Function over form." But the form of clothes is very functional: it
determines who you can easily associate with, what strangers think of you, who
is attracted to you, what sort of jobs you can have, your promotion potential,
and your general likability. There's a lot to be said for "looking good" and
how it can positively impact your life. And regardless of how you might wish
to treat clothing, know that others will treat it as important.

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jmjerlecki
"Doing so will allow you to blend, and when it comes to dress, this is a good
thing."

Why would one want to blend? Sticking out and being different is a great
thing. Displaying self-expression and individualism is important to who each
of us are. I have found this to be true in my profession and I would encourage
people to spend more time on what they wear. It can drastically impact ones
success. Simply put, don't look sloppy.

~~~
karjaluoto
We're in a culture filled with people wanting to stick out and be noticed.
That's part of our collective problem.

~~~
zalew
what's the problem exactly?

~~~
karjaluoto
One part of the world uses up most of the (rapidly diminishing) resources,
because everyone wants to be special.

~~~
jmjerlecki
What is wrong with wanting/encouraging someone to be special?

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elbrodeur
In William Gibson's _Pattern Recognition_ , the main character (Cayce Pollard)
subscribed to this aesthetic. Her wardrobe consisted of primarily garments
that could not be tied to a brand, trend or a period. This is partly a result
of a upchuck reaction to fashion and is also a side-effect of her rare
allergic reaction to bad branding.

Great read.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cayce_Pollard#Apparel>

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WildCat69
I like this idea and have heard that Einstein did the same thing.

I'm doing it with my fridge too. I eat the same thing for breakfast every day.
I just need to fuel up and get to work.

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droob
It's a little like wondering "what music to listen to."

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lannyJames
I've been thinking the same thing. I'd rather have a root canal than spend a
day at the mall

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xorbyte
Choice of clothing is always an expression of one's personality.

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ronnoles
Fine idea but I don't spend any time on my clothes anyway.

