There is no doubt in my mind that clothing and the way we present ourselves really impacts the way we are perceived and how people treat us. The last couple of days I’ve been dressing down in a pull down hat, a grey hoodie, a pair of jeans, sneakers and a jacket. People look at me quite differently than they usually do when I enter a train car or walk around.
The regular citizens look at me as though I pose a threat, I can see the fear and apprehension on their faces as we make eye contact. I watch them become weary if I choose to sit next to them. What I perceive as trouble makers also treat me as a threat, but they react differently. The looks from them are looks of challenge and defiance, as if to say “I’m hard nikka dont’ try me”.
This never happens to me when I am dressed for work wearing a button down shirt and a pair of slacks. I get looks from trouble makers, but it’s a different look. I found it very intriguing how differently one can be treated simply based on the clothes they choose to wear. Believe it or not, like it or not, it really does matter. So keep this in mind next time you are wearing certain clothes and you have some nasty or fearful eyes on you.
Just a life long New Yorker sharing the journey through my lens. Please take note of a post’s date. The views I express here are subject to change and evolving as I grow and learn.
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