It is often deceptive to judge a person by his dress. People who dress very well need not always be decent, good or honest. But the world generally judges a person by his dress. There are many rogues who dress very neatly but they commit worst of crimes. In cases where confidence is used to deceive a person, very often the deception dresses him in a comely way.
Still the world expects a person to dress according to his status. If one does not dress according to his rank, he is often held to ridicule. It doesn’t mean, one should dress, in a gaudy manner. It will show a sense of taste. But one should be dressed neatly and elegantly. In elite societies people attach importance to dress. Thus people in important positions have advantages. One can distinguish between a lawyer and a judge. The uniform adds to the dignity of the profession and helps one to know the person from his dress. Thus in the police and army, various ranks are easily known by their uniforms.
As mentioned before, dress may not be a good index of one’s character. Simple dress need not mean want of character. There were eminent people who dressed themselves in a very simple way. For instance, Gandhi wore only a simple dhoti. Some people often called him ‘half naked fakir’. But his dress, in any way, did not reduce his character.
Sometimes people are deceived by dress. Once a great scholar went to a party. As he was simply dressed, he could not find admission inside. So he returned home and put on his best.
He went back to the party and he was given a warm reception. In the course of the dinner he did not eat but was addressing his clothes. The host came there and enquired what the matter was. The scholar told him what had happened. Since he was admitted only for the sake of his dress, he was addressing his cloths. The host felt ashamed and sought pardon of the scholar. Though dress may be, to some extent, helpful to judge a person that will not be the only yardstick.
Vocabulary
put on wore
warm hearty
