Like it or not, looks make the man

Professional athletes understand that they have to wear uniforms when they are playing.

They understand they have to wear suits and ties when they are hauled into court on criminal charges.

They understand that when they want to go to the hottest clubs, they have to dress to meet the bouncer’s standard for the kind of important customer it wants to attract.

So why, Miss Manners wonders, do some of them have such a hard time understanding why they should follow a dress code when making public appearances as part of their jobs?

When the National Basketball Association commissioner announced that players would be expected to wear “business casual” clothing when representing the team off the courts, outrage exploded. A number of athletes and fans lobbed the usual arguments that are made whenever dress codes are issued at schools or parties.

It stifles creativity.

It inhibits cultural expression.

It is imposed on the younger generation by older people who don’t understand fashion.

It is ridiculous because it is what’s inside a person that matters.

Miss Manners cannot bear to argue these charges once again, so she would like to turn that task back to the objectors themselves.

Don’t they understand why uniforms are worn during games?

Well, sure. You have to be able to tell the teams apart. Anyway, they’re proud to wear those uniforms, which are a mark of their professional status. They’ve earned them.

Don’t they understand why lawyers insist that their clients dress conservatively when they are facing legal charges?

Well, sure. You want the jury to see someone who looks like an upstanding citizen, not a criminal.

Don’t they understand why clubs check out how people look before they decide who can come in?

Well, sure. They want to maintain a certain image, and they want customers who enhance that.

All right, then. If Miss Manners understands them correctly, there are times when it is desirable, and even a point of pride, to dress like everyone else. There are times when it is a bad idea to dress in ways that society interprets as disreputable, because people might think you really are. And there are organizations that need to check the appearance of those who want to be associated with it to maintain their own style and status.

That should wrap up the issue except for one thing – the charge of not keeping up with fashion. Except that the hip-hop fashion in question has, according to its own fashion gurus, moved on from the thuggish look to – of all things – the sharply tailored business look.