absolutely ridiculous in jeans

'You look absolutely ridiculous in jeans' read the attention grabbing headline. I read it in the coffee shop on Sunday past, of course in denim jacket and jeans. I smiled broadly at the dour photograph of George Will, the author of this commentary column, reading on in amusement to see if I was mentioned by name.

Mr. Will is a former political philosophy teacher, former editor of The National Review, conservative syndicated columnist for The Washington Post, author of several books; and owner of a single pair of jeans that he wore once.

He was moved to write the piece by an article he read in The Wall Street Journal, where ' "we all strive to look equally shabby." ' Whereas denim was once ' "a symbol of youthful defiance" ', it is now the ' "infantile uniform of this [sic] nation." ' Mr. Will goes on to say 'denim is the carefully calculated costume of people eager to communicate indifference to appearances. But the appearances that people choose to present in public are cues from which we make inferences about their maturity and respect for those to whom they are presenting themselves.'

Collective contempt? What happened to not judging a book by its cover? And what about 'style' versus 'content'? I've known many a scoundrel, professionally traipsing about in fine suits, with zero depth. And on the other hand,I personally find Mr. Bill Gates' persona MUCH more commanding when clad in sweater and jeans than in an expensive suit. The man's actions have, and continue to speak louder than the words 'hey, look how presentable I am!'

I DO understand the argument about following orders, discipline, and uniformity of dress code. The rigidity of past generations adhering to those strictures has changed, however. The quiet desperation of dad's generation wearing wool suits to un-air conditioned offices in the summer is gone forever. Lighter fabrics, relaxed dress codes, and central air changed long held, tacit notions of what is and isn't presentable. Even on weekends, the father of the house was still to be seen in a white shirt and tie: to underscore authority? To prevent one from ever really relaxing?

What Mr. Will never addressed in the article was the collective appreciation for the comfort that denim provides. It is true, our generation was conditioned to wear it from early youth on, but it's not about rebellion or immaturity. I do care about my appearance in public, I do respect other people's need to feel comfortable when 'regarding' me. I can only speak for myself, but those who understand what I'm saying probably dress themselves with the same idea in mind that I do: appropriately.

I finished by coffee, gathered up the rest of the Sunday paper, turned my denim collar up, and headed out into the Sunday morning rain.