What’s in an outfit?
'Clothes maketh the man', so the saying goes.
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Well clothes do at least make it a bit clearer which role man plays within our complex society.
all them uniforms, whatever, but the clothes that identify you with one visual brush also make connecting with you so much easier.
For instance, if I employed a sparkie (salt of the earth) to work on the electricals of my house I'd be truly perturbed if he arrived in a pin stripe suit. How's he going to crawl along my roof space in that I'll be thinking.
Conversely, if I have an appointment with my banker (rare event, but) and find him lounging in his padded vinyl chair, tee shirted and sporting red socks and runners, I'd well, want to run. I must admit to disapproval of nurses wearing what they do these days.
If I'm lying anxiously in my hospital bed and a person decked in some navy blue pant suit thingy and a name badge that says 'Sue' walks in, how am I to know if this is a medically credentialed creature or a ward cleaner?
Do I offer my backside for that terrifying injection, or the bin overflowing with cards from well wishers who know how terrified I am of injections? Navy blue, not helping my panic levels, nope.
Therefore, listen to the pragmatics of clothing etiquette - tradies wear rugged tough jeans and easy to wash check shirts, bankers wear pressed shirts and ties and inspirationally conservative shoes, and nurses should wear white, the colour of angels and hope.
This way none of us will get confused, and besides, all this sartorial definition can only be an asset to someone's economy (once upon a time we did manufacture here in Oz)... What about Southern Highlands alpaca for those pin stripe suits, easy wash 'paca for the check shirts of course, and cherub cool white alpaca wool for nurses' uniforms?
Alexandra Springett
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