Thursday, February 5, 2015

So, Who dressed you?

Went to early vote today and I had a conversation that I have had time and time again.

Her:  I like you yellow shirt.  I goes great with the yellow symbol on your sweater.

Me: Thanks, That's what I was going for.

And then wait for it......

Her: Did your wife pick that out for you?

Me:  No, I know a little about color. I've been buying my own clothes since I was ten.

Her: I always had to dress my husband.  He would wear anything and it was so embarrassing!

For some reason I have had this conversation many times in my life.  I have learned that guys aren't suppose to like clothes, know colors or know what goes with what.  When I tell people my story, they look at me like I'm weird.  I know one part of my story IS weird because I like to shop! I was the youngest of my brothers so whenever my Mother went shopping I went as well.  As a matter of fact I did most of the family's week day grocery shopping on my trusty bicycle.  I knew the family favorite brands and I learned how to influence some of the buying.  My opinions spread into clothes: what kind of tennis shoes and which shirts.  I went from there.

So through the years I have learned that there are guy rules:  Guys don't like to shop.  Guys should care what they wear unless it has a logo of their sports team, their sports store, and sometimes their ammo!  When their wife shows them something they say: Ok or whatever.

The crazy thing is that I have to fake it in business as well. When we design a building and it is time to pick colors, many times I hire a female designer to help because if they think I picked the colors it is weird.  Even in Architecture people don't want guys to know color.  To me that is the weird thought!  But it has an advantage: There's someone else to blame if they don't like my ideas.


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