11 Jun Dog at Work on Beware of what you Wear
Being a New Yorker, I’m proud to wear my cap, but I am mindful of the dangers of wearing clothes that say things.
Clothes are a means of communication, as we know. As such, they all say things, even the ones without printed statements on them. Being a dog, I rarely have occasion to concern myself with sartorial messages, but I am a keen observer of others. I know things.
Some of the things I know are these:
– Others notice what you wear even if they don’t say anything. I get a lot of approving glances when I wear my orange all-weather coat.
– Not everyone has the same perception of your outfit that you do, so decide if you are okay with a different perception. I think there are some who consider my red cable-knit sweater a little, well….precious. I think the intended look is…smart.
– You can select an outfit for a specific message. A neighbor boxer mix has a collar with spikes the size of staplers. A strong message- we cross the street when we see him.
– Dress for what you want to be. The yorkie down the street has a belted trench coat with a plaid lining. He looks like a member of Parliament. I think he wants us to take him more seriously than we might.
The folks at Language at Work say we can’t NOT communicate- they say we are always sending messages. The good news about this might be that we can put our outfits to work for us. We just can’t let them send any old message they want: beware and be aware.