Do Our Clothes Determine our “Pursuit of Happyness?”
Oakwood Mall invites you in on a rainy Saturday afternoon. You walk in and out of stores finding various items that interest you, but are unable to make a purchase. Do you buy that navy blue zip-up hooded sweatshirt plastered with “Abercrombie and Fitch” across the chest, or do you go for a similar navy blue zip-up from a non-name-brand store without a logo plastered on it? Do we really consider someone’s clothing to define who they are as a person? If someone spends a lot of money on one item from Abercrombie, do we consider them to fit in more than another individual who buys a similar article of clothing without a logo? Society bases a lot of preconceptions based on the physical appearance of individuals. No matter how much we all want to believe we do not judge those around us because of their wardrobe choices, we do. We immediately form a misconceived notion the moment someone walks into a room.
Take job interviews for example. A man wearing a suit, dress shirt, matching tie and is well groomed is interviewing for a corporate position. The man before him chose to wear torn jeans, paint stained t-shirt, and obviously lacked in personal hygiene. Which gentleman is more likely to get the job based on his appearance? Most would believe the typical suit and tie wearing male would be a shoe in. Even though this notion is more than likely true, the unkempt gentleman could still be considered for the position. This scenario is illustrated in the movie “Pursuit of Happyness.” Will Smith plays Chris Gardner, a struggling single father trying desperately to make ends meet. He learns of a job as a stockbroker and how much money he will bring in. However just like any other job he must interview prior to receiving his dream job. The night before his big interview, he is arrested and put in jail for failure to pay his parking tickets. The next morning, he is released and he makes a mad dash to the firm to be on time for his interview. He has not showered, is dressed in a paint stained t-shirt and jeans. Despite his unkempt appearance Chris still manages to receive a position with the firm. So do clothes really make the person?
Most of the time, an individual’s first impression is determined before their mouth even opens to speak. The individuals conducting Chris Gardner’s interview were skeptical when he first walked in the room, but as they listened to his responses they realized that someone like him would benefit their company. They were able to look past the imperfections of his appearance and give him a job that almost always requires its employees to look their best. So in conclusion, the clothes a person wears does not always determine who they truly are. Clothes create a first impression, but an individual’s personality must back it up in order to truly determine who they are. Anyone can hide behind the price tags of their fashionable clothes, but it takes a unique individual to show others who they truly are without having to compromise their wardrobe choices.
Oakwood Mall invites you in on a rainy Saturday afternoon. You walk in and out of stores finding various items that interest you, but are unable to make a purchase. Do you buy that navy blue zip-up hooded sweatshirt plastered with “Abercrombie and Fitch” across the chest, or do you go for a similar navy blue zip-up from a non-name-brand store without a logo plastered on it? Do we really consider someone’s clothing to define who they are as a person? If someone spends a lot of money on one item from Abercrombie, do we consider them to fit in more than another individual who buys a similar article of clothing without a logo? Society bases a lot of preconceptions based on the physical appearance of individuals. No matter how much we all want to believe we do not judge those around us because of their wardrobe choices, we do. We immediately form a misconceived notion the moment someone walks into a room.
Take job interviews for example. A man wearing a suit, dress shirt, matching tie and is well groomed is interviewing for a corporate position. The man before him chose to wear torn jeans, paint stained t-shirt, and obviously lacked in personal hygiene. Which gentleman is more likely to get the job based on his appearance? Most would believe the typical suit and tie wearing male would be a shoe in. Even though this notion is more than likely true, the unkempt gentleman could still be considered for the position. This scenario is illustrated in the movie “Pursuit of Happyness.” Will Smith plays Chris Gardner, a struggling single father trying desperately to make ends meet. He learns of a job as a stockbroker and how much money he will bring in. However just like any other job he must interview prior to receiving his dream job. The night before his big interview, he is arrested and put in jail for failure to pay his parking tickets. The next morning, he is released and he makes a mad dash to the firm to be on time for his interview. He has not showered, is dressed in a paint stained t-shirt and jeans. Despite his unkempt appearance Chris still manages to receive a position with the firm. So do clothes really make the person?
Most of the time, an individual’s first impression is determined before their mouth even opens to speak. The individuals conducting Chris Gardner’s interview were skeptical when he first walked in the room, but as they listened to his responses they realized that someone like him would benefit their company. They were able to look past the imperfections of his appearance and give him a job that almost always requires its employees to look their best. So in conclusion, the clothes a person wears does not always determine who they truly are. Clothes create a first impression, but an individual’s personality must back it up in order to truly determine who they are. Anyone can hide behind the price tags of their fashionable clothes, but it takes a unique individual to show others who they truly are without having to compromise their wardrobe choices.
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