Apparel oft proclaims the man
Dress is the index of character. We can judge a man from his clothes. In past, the class and caste distinctions were more rigidly observed than they are today. People of different classes and professions used to put on different types of dresses, and one could tell the profession of a man from his clothes. A preacher, a teacher, a businessman, a sailor, a Brahmin, a Kshatriya could be easily recognised from his dress. Today the caste and the class are in a melting-pot and distinctions in dress are fast disappearing or at least are less marked. We come across men of different trades and professions dressed alike. You can find an ambassador, an IAS officer, the manager of a bank, a clerk or a teacher in similar clothes. From this, it may seem that the old proverb has lost its meaning in modern times. Moreover, there is no dearth of persons who are ready to misuse their dresses and those who put on deceptive dresses to deceive and defraud people. We often find sinners dressed as saints and wolves in sheep’s clothing. But in spite of the fluidity of class distinctions in clothes and the deceptions practised by rogues, the proverb does have some validity even in modern times. It does give us a clue about the personality of the man. We can form a rough and ready opinion about a person from his dress. The choice of clothes, their shades, their stitching, fashions and designs, all tell us something about his taste and choice, likes and dislikes. Even similar clothes may betray differences by the manner in which they are maintained: whether they are well washed or shabby. A man of childish taste will select gaudy colours; a fop will get them stitched in the latest Hollywood designs; whereas a man of conservative tastes will try to put on clothes of sober colour and their stitching will also be less ultramodern. A rich and showy person will put on very expensive clothes while a poor man will put on coarse and cheap clothes and so on. Carelessness in matters of clothes reveals carelessness in other matters of life also. So we can say that person’s habits are reflected in his clothes.
