I recently had to attend a court hearing.  I wasn’t appearing before the judge; I was strictly an observer to the proceedings.  However, I dressed as if I was a participant, that is, a jacket and dress pants.

As I was waiting for my case to be announced, several other hearings were held.  Other than the attorneys, and me, no one else had put any effort into their appearance.  I saw more jeans and t-shirts than at an Aerosmith concert.  One young man even had on a ball cap, although he did finally remove it when he approached the bench, after his attorney nudged him. 

Maybe I’m showing my age, but as a society, we are taking “casual day” to a whole new level.  I see people in ensembles that basically amount to pajamas at the grocery store, post office, doctor’s office.  I’ve even seen slippers.  Not flip-flops, but fuzzy bedroom slippers.  I kid you not.  I’m not saying we need to break out the pantyhose and skirts when we run to grab a gallon of milk, but just remember, you never know who you might run into. 

My mother always said you never get a second chance at a first impression.  She was a wise woman.

(photo courtesy of obo-bobolina)