FashBlog.com

In the present climate of our society, profiling is everywhere. Mainly we hear of racial profiling, which is stereotyping the behaviors of a particular group of fellow human beings based soley on the color of their skin. In my opinion, it's simply a shortcut taken by authority...a simple way to avoid significant real, actual work. Yes, I know the statistics support some types of racial profiling, but until someone can assure me the said stats aren't skewed by profiling in the first place I can't truly get behind it. It's gotten me thinking, though...does what we wear also impact the way we're treated by everyone from our neighbors to the police department? Is there a profile out there made just for me, in my jeans and thermals?

Try as I might, I stereotype based on what folks wear. Perhaps it's because of the way characters are created and portrayed in the media; I'm not sure, but I still do it. The young man in the baggy pants with the Tommy shirt and the baseball cap worn to the side, gold chains dangling...homey. The woman with the very short, tight dress and bright pink heels and too much makeup? Trashy. The gal with the khakis, short hair, button down shirt and no makeup? Lesbian. Gorgeous man in trendy jeans with the loafers? Gay. The pudgy balding fellow in the red polo shirt and dockers with deck shoes? Ex-jock.

Now, I don't JUDGE any of these folks...please know that! What I DO is make an instant visual decision as to their basic lifestyle before they even have a chance to speak. And I know it's wrong, and I'm often PROVEN wrong (that gal is actual one of my dear friends, and she isn't a lesbian and never has been...though her whole life everyone has THOUGHT she is) but my brain still does it anyway. Of course, I'm just me, and what I think really doesn't matter much. But does corporate and judicial America have a set of guidelines they use to judge us the same way? Indeed they do...and I speak from personal experience.

Normally, I'm a slob. I love fashion, but fashion doesn't love me. Being a size 20 doesn't help matters, I'm sure...but I could dress better than I do. A typical outfit consists of jeans, a T-shirt or a thermal, and expensive but granolaesque shoes. My husband wears jeans as well, with sneakers, a flannel or dark colored button down shirt, and a baseball cap. What would you think happens to us when we go out into the real world? I'll tell you.

When wearing his baseball cap, my husband is pulled over very frequently for no reason at all. This has happened at least 15 times in the past few years, and it's our theory that he looks like a very young man from far away when driving. The officers walk up to the car, see his face, and apologize for the inconvenience after seeing his id and off we go. He has never been pulled over, NOT ONE TIME, when he wasn't wearing his baseball cap. Interesting, isn't it?

Me, I have a hard time getting folks to pay attention to me in a sales atmosphere when dressed as I usually do. When buying a car, I once waved a large wad of cash around in the air, but still no one came to help me. There were three salespeople on the floor, within viewing and hearing range, doing nothing. Even in WalMart, it's like I'm invisible. So, I hatched a plan. I went to the car dealership the next day, but in a pair of very nice slacks and an actual BLOUSE that I bought in the ladies' section...and lo and behold, I hadn't even shut the door of my car and a salesperson was in my face. And yes, it was one of the jerks working the day before.

Yes, I was shocked...and I decided to try dressing 'properly' on a regular basis to see if I was treated differently. Of course, I WAS. People said hello. They held doors for me. Cashiers called me ma'am and said thank you. The bank didn't ask for ID every single time (and I've been banking at the same place for 18 years, and dressed as a slob they ALWAYS asked).

And it isn't just me...my boss, also a slovenly dresser, put my theory into action, with the same results. So, what should we concluded? Yes, there is such a thing as fashion profiling. It makes store security ignore you, or follow you around. It determines how much you're expected to pay for automobiles (yes, also tested!). It's wrong, as the adage 'you can't judge a book by its cover' is completely true. But if you want to 'fit in' and have a pleasant experience when you're out in public with people who may be different than you are (translation: it's fine to be a goth in a goth bar or at a NIN concert, but you'll get looks in Sears) consider changing it up a bit. I like to think it makes the joke on THEM for a change. Then I think less about turning into a conformist.