Writing about this subject, a fool rushing in — I am not a “fashion forward” guy.  I attribute that to my upbringing.  I didn’t grow into adulthood in New York, Paris, or London.  While living in Durham North Carolina in the 1950s dressing up for church on Sundays, was a close as I came to fashion.  Mom on the other hand, had a knowledge of fabric types, textures, and color combinations.  She was an excellent seamstress.  I remember that she was “well put together” selecting from a wide collection of apparel for every occasion.

I on the other hand, have always been satisfied to wear sneakers and jeans.  A white T-shirt is standard warm weather apparel.  In winter, I’ll wear a flannel shirt with the sneakers and jeans as long as I am not dealing with ice and a sub-20 degree day.  That strikes me as a blue-collar, class based sense on the scale of importance when it comes to one’s physical presentation, the image that is offered to the world.

I have the good fortune to be associated with individuals who understand differently the manner and style of wearing apparel.  I’ve learned as time has passed, that image matters in a number of ways.

I am the odd-man-out now in my family.  My wife is style-conscious, every day of the week, not just on holidays and special occasions.  Our three adult kids and their spouses have an understanding of the importance of visual presentation in establishing credibility as a professional in the work place.   I also must mention a nephew of my wife who is a personal shopper employed by Nordstrom.  He has won awards within the company for his sense of style, and has worked on a number of fashion photography shooting sessions.  I’ve enjoyed getting to know him.

Here are some of the questions that I have related to fashion.

What defines me?  Is there some essential definition that remains fixed, unchanged whether I happen to wear faded Levi Jeans or a suit by Ralph Lauren?

Do aesthetics precede ethics? Do judgments about proportion and beauty,  effect, flow into my sense of what is right and what is wrong?  And if so, do things always work out that way?  Might one have a exquisite sense of fashion and still be a jerk?

What are the functions of style, of being well appointed in dress and accessories? Does one’s public presentation function as a language?  What situations are conducive to manner of dress as a overture of communication.  Or maybe a weapon, a medium to exercise power?

Certainly more questions are to come.

I am looking forward to a discussion with friends about this topic on Tuesday evening.