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The Profoundness of a T-Shirt

By on January 21, 2010 in Life

Not sure exactly when it was, probably 10 or 12 years ago, when I stopped buying t-shirts.

Because grown-up professionals don’t wear t-shirts, right?

They wear sweaters and blouses and button downs. Jackets over cute tops with coordinating scarves and necklaces. Tailored pants. Heels.

And so I thought that was what I was “supposed” to do.

But then … I went to Austin.

So what are you wearing, what are you doing, because you are “supposed” to do that as a professional?

What of yourself did you give up to become a grown-up?

And … do you want it back?

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  • Charles

    No, I was being facetious. Don't get me wrong, I normally like your blog and vids. I just don't see anything profound about a t-shirt.

    There is nothing unique about a person having a “professional” wardrobe and a “non-professional” wardrobe. Different clothes serve different purposes. You wouldn't wear a t-shirt and jeans to have dinner at the White House. You wouldn't wear a pantsuit and heels to go for a hike up Half Dome. Everyone knows these things. You just judge each activity you're doing on that scale and you can figure out what is appropriate or not. And what may be appropriate for a coach is not necessarily appropriate for an attorney and vice versa.

  • http://www.workhappynow.com Karl Staib – Work Happy Now

    I'm a huge fan of the t-shirt, but I also feel like I need to be more professional in my presentation. I just uploaded a picture of me in a nice button down shirt, but it's not really me. You are making me rethink this picture and show people the real me.

  • http://partybizconnect.com/ Karl Staib

    I’m a huge fan of the t-shirt, but I also feel like I need to be more professional in my presentation. I just uploaded a picture of me in a nice button down shirt, but it’s not really me. You are making me rethink this picture and show people the real me.

  • tweetrenee

    I live in t-shirts, and constantly have this concern about not dressing “age appropriate”. I think living & being in Austin makes things a little different. I can go into Saks here dressed in cheap jeans a t-shirt & hoodie and be treated extremely well. Sales associates don't treat me like I am going to steal something at any moment. I can't always pull that off other places. I love you post, because it's almost like you are giving “professionals” a permission slip to just have fun.

    I have been to a fancy wedding here (in Austin) where someone showed up in a t-shirt and hoodie.
    While I do think you should certainly dress appropriate for weddings and such, you shouldn't have to dress a certain way to be taken seriously.

    The clothes I wear are not going to make me suddenly less capable of doing my job.

    Kudos to you and your new found freedom.

    BTW you should check out my shirts: http://roboroku.com

  • tweetrenee

    I live in t-shirts, and constantly have this concern about not dressing “age appropriate”. I think living & being in Austin makes things a little different. I can go into Saks here dressed in cheap jeans a t-shirt & hoodie and be treated extremely well. Sales associates don’t treat me like I am going to steal something at any moment. I can’t always pull that off other places. I love you post, because it’s almost like you are giving “professionals” a permission slip to just have fun.

    I have been to a fancy wedding here (in Austin) where someone showed up in a t-shirt and hoodie.
    While I do think you should certainly dress appropriate for weddings and such, you shouldn’t have to dress a certain way to be taken seriously.

    The clothes I wear are not going to make me suddenly less capable of doing my job.

    Kudos to you and your new found freedom.

    BTW you should check out my shirts: http://roboroku.com

  • williammoroney

    Wow! Again, Elizabeth. LOL…LOL I loved this video.
    You are way too funny! I want to watch everything you
    have to say. Sorry if I sound too eager, I just LOVE
    intelligent, funny and positive people.

  • http://tinyurl.com/wmtrip William Moroney

    Wow! Again, Elizabeth. LOL…LOL I loved this video.
    You are way too funny! I want to watch everything you
    have to say. Sorry if I sound too eager, I just LOVE
    intelligent, funny and positive people.

  • lauraroeder

    I missed this vid when it was new, it really struck a chord with me!

    I totally understand what you're saying, there are so many stupid little things that we do to be who we think we're “supposed” to be without even realizing it . . .

    I'm not a fan of tshirts myself but I am a fan of comfy clothes! I never get dressed if I don't have to. That “get dressed to work from home so you'll feel professional” thing does not work for me!

  • http://www.LauraRoeder.com Laura Roeder

    I missed this vid when it was new, it really struck a chord with me!

    I totally understand what you’re saying, there are so many stupid little things that we do to be who we think we’re “supposed” to be without even realizing it . . .

    I’m not a fan of tshirts myself but I am a fan of comfy clothes! I never get dressed if I don’t have to. That “get dressed to work from home so you’ll feel professional” thing does not work for me!

  • jessimiller

    I'm a big fan of What Not to Wear, and really, I think the spirit of the show would agree with you – you should wear things you love that FIT! If you love what you're wearing, and it emphasizes your assets nicely, what can't you accomplish? I started noticing that the guys in my industry (web design and development) have been dressing more nicely in the past few years, breaking out of that “web nerd” stereotype of the dude with the video game t-shirt and ratty pants and bad hair. Lately, I've seen web guys (speaking at cons, attending casual meetups, etc) putting a collared shirt under a fun tshirt, which actually looks pretty awesome, it just has to fit right, not too tight and not too loose. I love that it's a hybrid of office wear and guy wear.

    As for me, I work for a corporate law firm, so I'm lucky I don't have to wear suits. But I'm still going to think about ways I can incorporate more of my style into my daily work wear. Thanks for posting this!

  • jessimiller

    I'm a big fan of What Not to Wear, and really, I think the spirit of the show would agree with you – you should wear things you love that FIT! If you love what you're wearing, and it emphasizes your assets nicely, what can't you accomplish? I started noticing that the guys in my industry (web design and development) have been dressing more nicely in the past few years, breaking out of that “web nerd” stereotype of the dude with the video game t-shirt and ratty pants and bad hair. Lately, I've seen web guys (speaking at cons, attending casual meetups, etc) putting a collared shirt under a fun tshirt, which actually looks pretty awesome, it just has to fit right, not too tight and not too loose. I love that it's a hybrid of office wear and guy wear.

    As for me, I work for a corporate law firm, so I'm lucky I don't have to wear suits. But I'm still going to think about ways I can incorporate more of my style into my daily work wear. Thanks for posting this!

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