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Back-to-school stylings '07
Contributed by: Anthonette Klinkerman on 8/1/2007

The back-to-school clothing fliers have arrived. The forecast for Fall Fashion '07?

Apparently the prep-gone-pirate-punk look. Skull-and-crossbones intermingle with plaid skirts and collared shirts. Funky jewelry and animal-print flats everywhere.

Personally, the only folk who should wear animal prints are animals, and maybe the Geico Cavemen. But there they are, for your grade-schooler.

The midriff is permanently banished, boo-hoo. Longer tunic-style shirts abound, though they are still on the low-cut side.

Boys' fashions linger on with over-sized shorts and baggy pants, a trend that should have passed five years ago but has been perpetuated by the media. It is refreshing, however, to see the re-emergence of collared shirts. Untucked, mind you.

This year I will also be teaching Senior Seminar at Eagle Academy, and part of the curriculum will be dressing for success. I don't recall where I read it, but the advice is "The more skin you show, the less credible you are." Translation: letting it all hang out removes I.Q. points from the way people perceive you.

Kathy Bacon of Dress for Success Denver agreed. She mentioned in a conversation plenty of women who enter her offices badly need to work on their outward appearances first.

People form ten opinions of you in the first seven seconds they meet you, I've learned. It makes that statement "You never get a second chance at a first impression" ring even truer.

Dressing in too-tight clothing or too revealing tops or shorts makes your "audience" uncomfortable. You could be a presidential hopeful, but a poor outer image will erase even the most pertinent message.

Employers and teachers alike, not to mention more mature generations, like a clean image. The message is that you take yourself, your studies or your work seriously enough to dress appropriately. And a tidy image is always appropriate.

One unfortunate visual I was subjected to in an upscale steakhouse was having to follow a hostess whose ample "love handles" were hanging out from under her too-short shirt and over the top of her low-cut pants. There went my appetite.

Even as I wrote this in my daughter's favorite hangout, a female mid-life crisis entered in what appeared to be a sports bra and low-cut Capri pants. She was sporting giant sunglasses, an even bigger metallic leather tote, and a fake tan so orange she could have been a stand-in for a traffic cone.

A conversation with a class last year revealed more than half the students felt uniforms wouldn't be that awful. (Doesn't Harry Potter and Co. wear them?)

The most interesting part was a few of them reporting what some TEACHERS were wearing made THEM uncomfortable. Naturally I asked if I was okay, and they let me pass. "Wherever you go, it's show-time," said one image consultant. You simply never know who is scrutinizing you.

Now I am not calling for high collars and long sleeves, just more respect for yourself and those around you. Maybe a longer look in the mirror before leaving the house and asking, "How will other people think of me in this?"

It can't be helped but visions of uniformed kids start dancing my head. Kids in schools all over the world wear uniforms. They take their education seriously enough to show the outward respect. A recent Post article reported employers are finding foreign students to be better educated. Is there a connection?

Seeing as some of the plaid skirts and jumpers of this season look oddly like a uniform, why not take the last few steps?


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Showing 1-7 of 7 comments
Submitted By: Michael Rule
posted on 8/5/2007 @ 9:22:23 AM
Rated Story
Nothing worse than a mid-life, overweight crisis in too small clothing........... Although a young hostess with nose rings and tatoos can kill the best appetite.
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Submitted By: Charmaine Robledo
posted on 8/2/2007 @ 10:37:12 AM
Rated Story
Oh, and Blogger Beer Night is next Wednesday at Old Chicago downtown.
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Submitted By: Charmaine Robledo
posted on 8/2/2007 @ 9:43:04 AM
Rated Story
Brendan has a sheer hatred of people wearing giant sunglasses. Ask him. I once had a job that required me to wear a skirt suit every day. Even on casual Fridays. The reasoning behind it? Because the boss was a man and his employees were mainly women, he should be the only one allowed to wear pants. Huh ...
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Submitted By: Anthonette Klinkerman
posted on 8/1/2007 @ 7:59:21 PM
(Not Rated)
Often we don't say anything because we'll get accused of something from stepping on First Amendment Rights to being inappropriate (male teachers). This is why I am so pro-uniform!
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Submitted By: Joseph Kirchmer
posted on 8/1/2007 @ 4:07:59 PM
Rated Story
Once when I was covering a news story at East High School in Denver and I was stunned at how scantily clad the girls were there. I couldn't believe the teachers would allow them to wear some of the clothes they had on (short shorts, tiny skirts etc.)
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Submitted By: Anthonette Klinkerman
posted on 8/1/2007 @ 1:15:13 PM
(Not Rated)
"Shant"? How Shakespearean: shall+not=shant. I guess I'd better study those fashion inserts again!
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Submitted By: Joseph Kirchmer
posted on 8/1/2007 @ 11:54:06 AM
Rated Story
Capri pants are now officially called "shants." The equation is as follows: Shorts + Pants = Shants.
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Showing 1-7 of 7 comments
CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Anthonette Klinkerman

Castle Pines North

Anthonette Klinkerman has posted 72 stories and 43 comments since joining on 4/14/2006. Anthonette Klinkerman 's average story rating is 4.94.
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