Dress to Kill

Today I wore my browns. I didn't head off to work for UPS, I was just wearing my brown slacks, brown shoes, and brown sports coat. And boy did I clash. I got dressed in the dark this morning, but I still thought I might be off a bit. And when I got to work, and saw myself, I knew I was right. It was just wrong.

But it leaves an interesting point. I'm not used to wearing brown. I almost always wear exclusively black and white, for religious reasons. But the interesting conflict is that Kraft is a business casual outfit, so I would stick out (even more than I do anyways) wearing dark suits. So I've had to adapt my wardrobe. And it's difficult to do so-and still match.

For some quick background, the idea behind the black and white to begin with, at least in my opinion, is not from scriptural source, but from a religious worldview with certain moral priorities. In Judaism, a number of rules are at play. First is the idea of humbleness. Accordingly, clothes that are overly flashy or trendy contradict this perspective. But at the same time there is an importance placed on presenting yourself well, seeing the Jewish people as a princely people, direct servants of Gd. So sloppy, dirty, or casual wear are in conflict with this ethic. So a simple black and white should do the trick. Unless you work in Khaki and Polo land. (My first comment after coming back from my first day at Kraft was that it seemed like the land of bad holiday gifts...I've never seen so many ugly sweaters and ill fitting, four year old shirts.)

So I've had to revise my wardrobe. Not easy. It's still fairly dark. And it's almost all single color garments. But I've had to look harder to find clothes that will look like I change on a daily basis, but that still convey simplicity. I hope I do a good job.