Dressing Up

I am not a fashion guru. I don't even know anything about fashion. But as a professional, you need to know how to dress well and look good. But again, I am not trained how to dress that way. The question is how should one dress properly? There was even a research study about this.

"How should doctors dress up?"

I was in Church this morning and I sure wore my appropriate Sunday clothes - an untacked short-sleeve polo, khaki pants, and leather shoes. I did not dress as a doctor nor did I dress up as a clergy. I just go to church in my usual smart casual clothes. This is what makes me feel comfortable. I do not like dressing up to be recognized and given special attention for being this and that. After the service, I was greeting people and somebody who recognized me started introducing me as a doctor. Somebody then commented, "are you really a doctor? because you don't look like one." I just smiled. What she meant was that I was young and did not dress like the other doctors in the congregation, long-sleeves or Barong Tagalog with black silk pants and formal leather shoes. It's always a complement for me to not give an impression that I am a doctor or a clergy.

There is no prescribed attire of how doctors should dress save for the scrubs and the blazer when they are in the hospital. But when a doctor is out of his/her workplace, there is no way one can know he/she is a doctor. This is in contrast to some persons who can be recognized by their dress. For example, a clergy can wear his clergy attire or put on his clergy collar. Sometimes they wear their cross and we know that they are ministers. Obviously, I did not look any of the two.

But as I was reflecting on this, I remember one bishop who noted how I dress. He gave me an advice that we should dress appropriate to the occasion. He said, when we need to be seen as a doctor in the hospital, we should look like one. It helps the patients have confidence if they know they are being attended by a doctor who dresses like a doctor and not as a patient. If we are in the church, we should dress like a clergy as appropriate for the occasion. He also added that we must dress appropriately to where we are. If we are in the streets then wear street clothes. If we are in a formal event then we must be in coat and tie or gown. This also helps us blend with the crowd especially if we are trying to reach out to people. Most importantly, the way we dress or look will not become a reason for people to stumble in their growth.