Dress for Success

וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ בִגְדֵי־קֹ֖דֶשׁ לְאַהֲרֹ֣ן אָחִ֑יךָ לְכָב֖וֹד וּלְתִפְאָֽרֶת׃

Make sacral vestments for your brother Aaron, for dignity and distinction.

Exodus 28:2

How you dress is of biblical importance. Yoga pants be damned, and sweatpants be cursed—what one chooses to wear is not merely a question of comfort. Rather, how you adorn your body speaks to the day you hope to have and the life you intend to lead, to dress for success. Before you rush out to refurbish your wardrobe, consider the dignity and adornment that suits the world before you.

Proper clothing can enhance a person’s stature. Moreover, we use clothing to express our intentions—formal wear to dignify special occasions and business suits to demonstrate importance. Clothing becomes costume when paired with certain meanings, just as ermine-trimmed capes denote monarchy and black robes impart justice.

Throughout history, clothing has served as a powerful emblem of political struggle and moral conviction. The American Revolutionaries, for instance, rejected British aristocratic fashions, opting instead for simple homespun garments to symbolize their commitment to independence and self-sufficiency. Similarly, the sans-culottes of the French Revolution deliberately discarded breeches, favoring long trousers to distinguish themselves from the aristocracy and express their solidarity with common citizens.

Aware of the power of clothing, Martin Luther King Jr. famously wore tailored dark suits each day, symbolizing the dignity of his work and the seriousness of his character. Intending to be arrested in Birmingham in 1963, King wore a workman’s outfit of blue jeans. Denim was a way for activists to show solidarity with the struggle for racial justice and equality. Similarly, members of the Black Panther Party in the 1960s adopted black berets and leather jackets as a uniform that exuded strength and resistance against systemic oppression.

Volodymyr Zelensky wears khaki green military-style clothing as a reminder that his country is engulfed in war. His choice of garb reminds the world that his country is under siege. The choice to forgo suits in favor of military attire underscores his role as a leader actively engaged in defense, not diplomacy.

Currently, clothing can serve to divide us, keeping neighbor from neighbor. Larry David drove this point home by wearing a red MAGA baseball cap on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Season 10. David wore the cap to avoid certain people in his liberal LA neighborhood, who he knew would shun him because of the cap. This illustrates how clothing can carry deep political and social meanings, marking individuals as allies or adversaries in contemporary discourse.

What are you trying to tell the world about yourself with the choices of what you wear? “Clothes do not make the man”, recorded Erasmus in 1500. As a theologian, Erasmus knew the biblical texts describing the clothing worn by the High Priest and his descendants. Yet, Erasmus, Shakespeare, and Mark Twain all famously encouraged us to look beneath the bespoke and the stylish to find a person’s true character. A good suit and tie can mask poor character, and athleisure wear can conceal good character. Rather, our readiness to repair the world should inform our fashion sense.

Clothing remains an outward manifestation of one’s values, allegiances, and convictions. The suffragettes’ white garments symbolized purity and moral righteousness in their quest for women’s voting rights. Modern protesters adopt specific colors—such as the blue ribbons worn over hearts aching to bring Israeli hostages home. Clothing can help to create unity and visibility in the face of oppression.

Combining the Torah’s teaching the priests’s clothing with the axiomatic knowledge of true character, clothing choices can demonstrate faithfulness and virtuosity.

As we struggle to sustain democracy, combat plutocracy, and confront hypocrisy, I suggest that we dress to reflect our objectives. Select clothing to set an intention for your day. Getting dressed in the morning, demonstrate that you are prepared to work for justice. Uncomfortable times not suited for relaxed clothing. We must use all our tools, including apparel, to stand up for justice, freedom, and democratic ideals. Let’s dress the part.