The Voice - Student Newspaper

Should clothing speak louder than words?

By Sergio Vaquera
Reporter, The VOICE

Mark Twain once said, "Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." Is that truly the case?

People tend to be judged by what they wear and assumptions are made about who they are. Is this fair? Hardly, but it is the reality in which we live.

I wear tight jeans so does that mean that I must be a punk kid who doesn't have a clue, or care for that matter, about today's society? Not even close.

A girl wears a short skirt and a low-cut top, she must have loose morals. Sure, that situation sounds plausible, but one cannot know someone without actually talking to them.

When a man walks by in a nice suit, he must be someone important; someone who has a six figure salary.

The problem is that anyone can buy a suit. So, what is it about the clothes we wear that changes the perception of how others view us as individuals?

Over the years the style has changed, clothes have become more conservative rather than more reviling. Much of this is influenced by popular culture.

Everything from movies to music has affected our appeal.

While our clothing may say something about our personalities that does not define who we are.

Clothing is different based on the situation. If you see the same person in clothing not usually worn, there is no reason to think they are not the same person.

This also works with uniforms or clothing from other countries. A man wearing a turban is not necessarily from the middle-east.

We have come so far from the prejudice and racism seen in the 1960s yet we still see the masses making judgments based on appearance.

Everyone wants to get by in this life and we only set ourselves back by not communicating with each other.

Some very interesting people may be dressed in what is not "normal," however we rob ourselves of the opportunities of knowing these people by turning the other way with no words spoken.

Instead of making assumptions we should look past what is on their shirt and see the man or woman for who they are. Clothes serve a purpose but they don't override who we are.