Practicality over Pretty: Clothes of the News

I don’t know if this is just the newsrooms I’ve been apart of, but one thing that seems to remain true is the dress of reporters.

I’m not a fancy person, by any means. I choose comfort over looks and practicality over pretty.

Looking around my newsroom, it appears that that’s how everyone appears. From the senior writers to the librarian.

Guys typically wear the khaki pants and a shirt of some sorts. Girls wear dress pants, dresses sometimes skirts — which all sounds fancy, then you look at us.

Rumpled, no makeup, hair a mess and clothes obviously put on in a matter of seconds.

Personally, I pick out my outfit the night before, wake up five minutes before leave time and I’m out the door looking rough on a daily basis.

It’s not that I don’t care, it’s that in the mornings nothing is more important to me than sleep.

What really got my attention is when we had our monthly staff meeting — everyone from accounting to marketing comes to these meetings.

Looking around, the other departments of the paper looked great. Makeup done, hair fixed and even matching jewelry. Then their outfits were spectacular, they were ironed, matched and looked professional.

As my eyes wandered, I looked at my fellow reporters who appeared like they’d just come back from the trenches of war.

Is it smart that we dress practical, replacing high heels for flats and fancy dresses for capris and nice blouses? I know I dress for the day with a practical sense of mind, but I also know that on most days I don’t look so hot.

Are all reporters as slacker-clothes as the Daily News?

Should dress be a higher priority on my list? I always act professional, shake the hands and wear the press badge, but would dressing for success add something more?

Or would it be cliche to say, I’m a reporter. I don’t make a lot of money and I want to focus on the story, not the clothes I’m wearing?

Food for thought.