The Fashion Minefield

It’s a curious thing but the posts that I put on LinkedIn with pictures involving people wearing clothes or carrying accessories are the second most looked at, commented on and shared things that I put on the site.

The most looked at, commented on and shared items are pieces about recruitment. As I’m not trying to do business with other recruiters (sorry lads) this doesn’t help me much.

So back to clothes.

Here’s a picture I posted last year of a Baltic gentleman with giant trousers who kicked this whole thing off. He’s clearly Very Important and stares back at us from the 17th Century just daring us to dissolve in a fit of giggles. 400 years too late for him he has become that most 21st Century thing – a meme.

The other day I posted a picture that was doing the rounds again.

Published by some fashion gurus a year or two back (Trinny and Susannah for those of you based in the UK) it showed a model who had been asked to pose in somewhat unflattering outerwear to illustrate what one might wear to a first job interview. The icing on this particular cake was that the young woman had been given a bag to carry featuring a picture of a cat wearing a glittery tiara. Comedy gold.

Anyway, lots of people looked at it. According to LinkedIn the population of a moderately large town/small city looked at.

And they commented on it. Which was I suppose the idea. But the whole thing began to take on a life of its own and went into some rather dark corners. Obviously this being the Internet and a business blog I need to draw some conclusions from the comments and then suggest how they may change the world.

Here goes:

  • Lot’s of “thought leaders” dress in ways that we don’t like. We can tell if someone’s going to be a pain if their suit is a little too blue and their shoes somewhat too brown and pointy. We want to punch them if they’re wearing anything made out of linen.
  • Everyone hates people who try too hard. Pocket square matching the tie? Deary me. Bag with a picture on it? Fetch a nurse!
  • Bright socks are the devils work
  • Chinos are distinctly middle aged
  • Ties are very 20th Century
  • Clothes mustn’t look cheap or (horror) provincial
  • Fashion is crap
  • People in IT are fashion leaders though
  • Cat bags may be okay as long as you aren’t going to an interview
  • Some women make a lot of money telling other women what they should wear to work
  • Men are also very keen to explain to women what they should wear to work even if they’re not actually paid for their opinion

Here’s what I think.

  • You can wear what you want when you want
  • The exception to the above is if you’re under eight and its snowing and you want to wear shorts

Anyway, here’s a picture of Sean Connery on a bicycle…

Posted on: 30th September 2018 by Ivor Campbell

Into his fourth decade of search Ivor has a voice with stories to tell, observations to make and the odd picture to share. Mostly related to the day job.

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