Have you ever walked outside the house on a hot, summer day and realized you’re the only person wearing a tuxedo? Have you ever gone scuba diving in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and realized you’re the only person wearing a tuxedo? Perhaps you went to a fancy event at a ballroom gala and realized you were just wearing a belt. The latter of which would be a case of being underdressed, but having a Fear of Being Overdressed is an issue we human beings face all too often. Animals are the lucky ones. Getting to wear their birthday suits all the time like a bunch of…animals. But I digress.
Layering Up on Fear of Being Overdressed
Contrary to popular belief and what was written in that opening paragraph, accidentally wearing a tuxedo is not the only way to overdress for something. Whether you have RSVP’d to an event or are hosting your own, there is the realization you are going to have to pick out an outfit. The outfit needs to be equal parts comfortable, memorable, and appropriate. It needs to allow you to look like everyone else while simultaneously avoiding looking identical to someone. You need to be able to epitomize elegance while conquering comfort. The question isn’t “should I wear a monocle?” but instead “how many monocles should I wear?”. You also have to factor in who else will be attending the event, what is the theme, and whether you will be graded on your appearance. That last part usually only applies to beauty pageants but the Fear is still relevant.
In today’s world of remote working, Fear of Being Overdressed is usually offset by a fancy shirt and no pants. With this look, video calls are (literally) a breeze. The only challenge here is remembering to change your shirt every once in a while. My general rule of thumb is if you can tell what you had for dinner on Tuesday because it’s still on your shirt, you should change. Anything else is fair game. Or if your friends, family, or colleagues begin to ridicule you in general for your attire. That’s usually a sign something is wrong with your outfit. Or you need better friends.
Changing Out of Fear of Being Overdressed
Aside from penguins who are forced to wear those ridiculous costumes everyday, most outfits can be adjusted on the fly. The fly meaning “quickly”. Not the movie. Which was recently reviewed on this very website! You should always pack multiple outfits wherever you go. Inspiration can strike at any moment and it’s important to have a shirt for any occasion. Dress for the job you want, but don’t wear that shirt to the interview again.
With all that being said, the vast majority of people don’t care what you look like. If you see 100 people a day, 98 of them won’t remember you by the time you get off the train. No one cares what people look like. For that reason alone, having a Fear of Being Overdressed is easy to resolve. I know the world may seem like it’s full of superficial and callous people who judge every action, but I guarantee you they wear sweatpants too. And they like them. By the way, never insult a penguin for how they look. I know penguins didn’t make the Top 10 Worst Animals to be Eaten By list but don’t give them a reason to make the list either.
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