Taking it off. Undressed. Stripped. Getting Naked.  What’s the common thread (or lack thereof) here? Taking OFF your clothes.  There’s many different ways to say it, but the bottom line is something is coming off.

Wal Mart. Michael Kors. Target. Express. Bebe. Louboutins. Marshalls. Gucci. What’s the common thread (or difference of) here? They’re all clothes….that you eventually have to take off at some point.

So I know you’re probably thinking, “What’s the big deal about taking off my clothes?” I’m so glad you asked….

Yesterday at work, I wore jeans. Not baggy jeans, but fitting (SN: no dude should ever wear skinny jeans though….just saying), nice jeans and a polo. Truth be told, I love wearing jeans and would probably wear them everyday if I could. I’m not a big suit and tie guy, but that’s just me. We have casual Fridays at work, but we also had the opportunity to buy jean passes for the last couple Thursdays for $5 each. The money goes towards fundraising efforts for United Way. So I thought, “Hey, why not give money to a great cause and wear jeans while I’m at it?”.  But then…the looks came. Many people at work were looking at me like there was a bug on my face because I wore jeans on Thursday. Guess they forgot about United Way…who knows (or really cares, for that matter)?

On a separate occasion (also at work), I remember dressing up for a big Friday event I was helping to run. That particular day, I had on slacks, a dress shirt and a tie. And the difference between the two instances was like night and day.  People spoke to me that never usually do. They started up conversations out of the blue. It was actually quite hilarious because I quickly figured out the only difference wasn’t me, but the people I came in contact with. I was the same Carlos, but people reacted to me differently based on what I had on.

The point of it all is whether you have on designer clothes, overalls (they need to come back in style, lol), or a convenience store T-Shirt, you are what you wear….but are you really? True, clothes do paint an image, but what about the canvas underneath when the clothes come off? Will you hire the well-groomed person with a suit and tie, well shined shoes, but no substance or drive? The better person for the job may be the one who needs some extra grooming and training. But let’s face it, we really want the person who seems to be ready-made for our liking. Even in relationships, a woman with a skirt that barely covers her thighs will almost always get the bad rep for being “loose”. She’ll almost always not be a candidate for marriage…not based on her heart, but her image. And some women may find doctors, lawyers and CEOs more appealing than the average blue-collar worker.  Not all because of a salary price tag, but the uniform and prestige that is assumed to go along with it.

So, if you want to buy all the designer clothes you can find? Do it! And have a designer personality to match. If you choose to wear thrift store clothes and save your money? Do it! Just still have that same designer attitude underneath. It’s not about the person wearing the clothes, but who they are when the clothes come off!