2002-12-07 - 8:55 p.m.
WEARING SUITS PROUDLY
Today two people insisted that I was overdressed. I blew them off. I didn�t care. I don�t pay huge amounts of attention to how others dress so I�m not very sorry if my dressing well provokes a reaction. I know that I am a little more formal about business attire than most people in my office and most other criminal defense lawyers. But I have a radical notion. I believe that if you are a lawyer then there are times you should dress like a lawyer. Truth in advertising and all that.
I spoke on a panel at a seminar today. No one complained at the men in suits that they were overdressed. Admittedly, most of the suits they wore were a little tacky or cheap looking. Still, a few were natty dressers. I was dressed well in a silky red blouse and in a black sweater-suit. The suit is comfortable and I inherited it from my grandmother who was a sharp dresser. Yes, I was wearing pantihose and (low) heels.
Just because I work for clients who cannot pay for a lawyer doesn�t mean that my clients are not entitled to the full show and to the illusion that they have a �real lawyer.� Just because the majority of the group to whom I was speaking views themselves as rabble-rousers rather than part of a more corporate world in which women dress professionally and nicely doesn�t mean that I have to be a sheep and follow.
Most, but not all, of my good professional wardrobe comes from resale shops, my sewing machine, or my grandmother�s closet. I�ve probably spent less on my �fancy� wardrobe than those dressed in jeans, polo shirts, and sweaters. It�s not about the money. It�s about the image and how projecting it makes me feel.
I grew up in a more formal place and in a corporate world. I can handle casual Fridays but I hate not being able to tell Fridays from the rest of the week. Wearing work clothes to work allows me to make a clear distinction between work and home.
I am a lawyer and I�m not ashamed of it. I won�t pretend to be someone I�m not. So I�ll continue to wear the suits�proudly.
LAST YEAR: Plans
LAST FIVE ENTRIES:
Priorities
Along for the Ride
Junkyard
Slip Sliding Away
Just Another Manic Monday
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Copyright 2006 by Ellen |
