"Looks Like"

In the early oughties, I wore to school, tucked into my black slacks, a nice Stewart Formal tartan Pendleton, a regular shirt with one open pocket. It kept me warm. Commentary occurred on the "looks like" level of analysis: I looked like a lumberjack. Back in the 90's I wore a black boonie hat/ floppy hat with some sort of fatigue jacket to the video store, where, to be fair, they knew that my tastes ran a bit raw. I looked like a mercenary. Not that mercenary is a particular full semantic category-- it only signifies getting paid on a commercial basis. My teaching colleague remarked, seeing my downward spiral into plaid pants and flat caps, that I look ever more like a golfer. Others, seeing me walk into the teachers' lounge in a long wool scarf with my reading glasses, remark that I look like a professor.

OK, so the clothes make the man. I find this oppressively facile. Plaid happens. Floppy hats don't get paid, they just shade. Flat hats are the only toothsome headgear not also worn by, say, SWAT teams, a "look like" I certainly don't need. And that scarf-- it's warm as all get out! Can we wear clothing to, like, clothe ourselves???