first day of denim

Friday was the first day we were allowed to wear casual clothes. By casual I mean jeans a collared shirt, not a t-shirt and shorts. When I began teaching, I believed that students would run wild when I wore denim. I thought they would set desks on fire and spray paint the walls. I now realize that I am lucky if they notice I wore jeans instead of slacks.

I made a list of why I wish I could wear jeans everyday:

1. More comfortable - I like how jeans feel. I like that the top is not pleated and that they can be a tiny bit baggy without looking dumb. Denim just feels better.
2. I don't have to tuck my shirt in - When I tuck my shirt in each day, I feel trapped. I know it sounds strange, but I just don't like how it feels. I don't like having a shirt blouse out in one moment and then feeling my pants tugging on me when I lift my arms in the next moment.
3. Less washing - Every guy knows you can wear jeans for a long time without having to wash them. The same is not true of dress pants.
4. It doesn't change how I teach - Contrary to all the teacher talk I've heard over the years, it does not strip away the dignity of my profession (Blackboard Configurations, Lesson Plan Formats and Scripted Curriculum are more likely to do that) and it does not change my classroom management style. Being a professional is about how you act and not what you wear. As long as you avoid tights and spandex, you're pretty much within the professional realm.
5. Jeans go with everything - This is important to me. I hate having to figure out what colors I can wear with black or brown or green or blue pants and then finding my brown or black shoes and the matching socks and then making sure the socks go with the pants and the shirt and that the belt matches the shoes. For a man who thrives on simplicity, dress clothes are two complicated with hidden tabboos and too much gray area (some blues go together and some don't).