I’ve been traveling for a few months. Part of my itinerary included a few formal and some semi-formal events with clearly stated dress codes.
Anyone who knows me is aware that I am deeply distressed by fashion and by shopping.
So, when I have one of these work trips, my sister spends at least one week painstakingly sourcing & coordinating outfits for me. Then she comes to my home to ensure I try everything on and that they fit. By that point, I’m already tired. Then, I have to pack all the stuff and haul suitcases to each stop on my itinerary.
Now, more often than not, there will be a few people who defy the dress code and show up in sneakers and jeans! It always happens.
On this particular trip, I was pissed. Like, why did I even bother if people were going to wear what they liked anyway? It seemed disrespectful as we were all informed beforehand. And I know these same people wouldn’t try it at a government function.
But I learned something from this – to just do me and to focus.
I’m a serious person who takes things seriously. How I do one thing is how I do everything else – intentionally. Those who appreciate that will notice my effort. And those who don’t, won’t.
At every event, you’ll notice there are those who dress to the nines. They are very deliberate about their appearance and go the extra mile. There are also those who do what’s necessary to fit in and no more. And then, there are some who just don’t care. You can typically tell a lot about people by how they show up.
Another thing I learnt is to enforce standards.
For the events I cited, it’s the organizers I blame. If an event has a prescribed dress code and you don’t turn people away who don’t follow it, then you didn’t really mean it. If an event is supposed to start at a specific time and you don’t begin, you never meant for it to start on time.
People will always push the boundaries until they discover where the hard line is. Therefore, when you set a standard, be ready to enforce it or no one will take you seriously in the future.
For more, please read Doing It Yourself.
People will always push the boundaries until they discover where the hard line is. Therefore, when you set a standard, be ready to enforce it or no one will take you seriously in the future. Click To Tweet