I appreciate how New York Times' journalist Vanessa Friedman covered the recent story of scientist Matt Taylor and his questionable sense of style. The themes she highlighted in this column are timeless and important.
In short, British physicist Dr. Taylor "appeared on 'BBC Breakfast' and a European Space Agency live stream to update everyone on the mission [of landing on a comet] while wearing a bowling shirt emblazoned with a print of numerous bodacious women in various cleavage-baring poses wearing skintight outfits and toting guns — and bearing an astonishing resemblance to the girls of the just-released Pirelli calendar." Unfortunately, his shirt became the focus of his televised appearances, overshadowing the exciting news he had to impart.
Friedman states: "I think the real moral of this particular story exists beyond personal politics and is fairly straightforward and universal: What you wear in public matters. Whomever you are, and whatever you do." She continues to make several good and relevant points about the way our clothing sends a message to the world, ending her article with these wise words:
"Clothing is part of any message delivered personally. This is not a new idea — public figures have considered the semiology of their appearance since Cleopatra — but it is ever more important in the social media age. It is part of communication, and communication is a skill that involves practice and planning. It is fully accepted that people should consider their remarks. Why should they not also consider the shape in which they are, literally, framed?"
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