Dress for Success
You can’t tell when I’m on the radio, but I wear a shirt and tie to work most every day. There’s always a suit coat handy in my office as well, because you never know what’s going to come up or who might drop by.
My theory is that it doesn’t make sense for me to be discussing important issues of the day on the radio while wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and flip flops. That may work for others behind a microphone, but that doesn’t work for me.
It sort of sets a tone. A century ago in the early days of radio, NBC required its network announcers to dress in formal wear in the evening because even though they were not seen by the public, it was part of putting them in the right mood for the job.
Fast forward to today’s U.S. Senate, where apparently the dress code has been relaxed so that one member can wear gym shorts and hoodies when speaking from the floor or voting. Granted, that one member has had a history of medical and mental health issues over the past two years, the severity of which I do not know…but I’m not sure this is the signal to send—that those who gather to discuss laws dress as if they just finished a midday workout.
Frankly, I still find it jarring when reporters catch up with members who drop by the Capitol on the weekend and we find them in sport shirts and jeans. Simply put, it doesn’t fit.
A New York Post reporter tried to gain access to various New York establishments dressed like Sen. John Fetterman recently, right down to the hoodie and shorts. He was refused access, because those restaurants prohibited athletic wear. One manager there noted, “We have turned away guests for being improperly dressed regardless of their occupation.”
Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin plans to introduce a bipartisan resolution this week reinstating the Senate dress code, to make sure it “remains consistent with previous expectations”.
Let’s hope the dress code…and the bills they pass…both meet our previous expectations.
