98 WHAT EVERY BODY IS SAYING
Clothing says a lot about us and can do a lot for us. In a sense, our
torsos are billboards upon which we advertise our sentiments. During
courtship, we dress up to enchant; while working we dress for success.
Similarly, the high school letter jacket, the police badge, and the mili-
tary decoration are all worn on the torso as a way of calling attention to
our achievements. If we want others to notice us, the torso is where it’s
at. When the president gives his State of the Union address before Con-
gress, the red-garbed women you notice in a sea of blue and gray are
those who, like birds displaying their plumage, are wearing vibrant
colors to be noticed.
Clothing can be very subdued, very sinister (consider “skinhead” at-
tire or a “gothic” look), or very flamboyant (such as that of musicians
Liberace or Elton John), reflecting the mood and/or personality of the
wearer. We alternatively can use torso adornments or bare parts of our
torsos to attract others, to show off how muscular or fit we are, or to ad-
vertise where we fit in socially, economically, or occupationally. This
may explain why so many people fret excessively about what to wear
when attending a high-profile function or going on a date. Our personal
adornments allow us to show our pedigree or our allegiance to a particu-
lar group—for example, wearing the colors of our favorite team.
Clothing can be very descriptive, such as revealing when people are
celebrating or mourning, if they are of high or low status, whether they
conform to social norms or are part of a sect (e.g., Hasidic Jew, Amish
farmer, or Hare Krishna). In a way, we are what we wear (see box 24).
For years people told me I dressed like an FBI agent, and they were
right. I wore the standard agent uniform: navy blue suit, white shirt,
burgundy tie, black shoes, and short hair.
Obviously, because we have certain employment roles that require
specific attire and since we make conscious choices when it comes to
clothing, we need to be careful in our assessment of what it signifies.
After all, the guy standing outside your door dressed in a telephone re-
pairman’s uniform just might be a criminal who purchased or stole the
outfit to gain access to your home (see box 25 on page 100).
Even with the caveats just mentioned, clothing needs to be considered