- Day 2 Suit (Blue Strip Suit by Calvin Klein; White Shirt by Gap; Stripped, Skinny Tie by Penguin)
Today's post was going to be about suspenders, but, instead, it's going to be about life lessons. If I had realized that doing this project was going to be about learning life lessons instead of studying my students, I might not have begun it. However, now that I've started and may, in fact, be growing as a human being, I suppose I have no choice but to continue.
Last night, due to a series of foreseeable but unavoidable events (namely a road-trip to visit Shawna's father in Glen Mills, PA), I didn't get to bed until 2 AM last night. On Sunday night, before day 1 of the project, I had carefully selected an outfit and hung it up all together on my dresser. At 2AM, after driving for four hours through dimly lit mountain roads, I just went to bed. I had, however, been planning an outfit in my head: I was going to wear the blue suit, a nice pink shirt I have, and a knit tie. If that didn't work for some reason, I was going to wear a mustard shirt and a fun stripped tie.
This morning, I woke up at 8AM, made breakfast, showered, and shaved with no problems (and, more importantly, no dawdling). To my chagrin, it was 9:05 and I had a 9:23 bus to catch (b/c in addition to The Suit Project, I am also riding public transit to campus for the first time; note: only attempt one project per semester!). Where was the pink shirt?! DIRTY! The mustard shirt?! WRINKLED! OH DEAR!
Thinking fast, I managed to cobble together the outfit you see above. I could not, however, find my tan suspenders. Realizing I wouldn't be able to worry about it, I dashed to get my book bag together and was all set to get out the door, when I realized it was 9:24 and I had already missed my bus! DAMN AND BLAST!
Well, I eventually, after much wailing and gnashing of teeth, made it to campus on a much later bus. It took me a while to calm down and get focused to teach, but it all turned out in the end.
I realized from this experience that the main difference between wearing a suit and wearing whatever is that it takes at least 15 minutes longer to get ready every morning. As a dash-out-the-door-at-the-last-possible-moment kind of person, I am realizing that for this project to go forward, I am going to have to work harder on planning ahead.
People often like to suggest that it is laziness that leads to our current more casual attitudes to dress, but I am beginning to suspect that it is not entirely laziness, so much as the desire for a uniform. I used to always wear jeans, a black t-shirt, and fun sneakers to teach and work. It didn't matter which black shirt was on the top of the pile, b/c they were all the same. Other men wear things like chinos and a polo shirt, which is the same principle. When your entire wardrobe consists of easily interlocked components, getting dressed and out of the house is much quicker and more coordinated.
So, now I have to work on being more organized and will get to grow a little bit from this experience. Fun.