During dental school, Dr. Liz and I were instructed to wear scrubs every day. Most people that didn’t have abnormally long legs found them quite comfortable. I never had pants the right length, and I always had to choose between exposing my ankles or exposing my midriff. When I was lucky enough to find a pair of scrub pants long enough to accommodate my giraffe legs, the width of the pant legs was such that I looked like a ‘90s era skateboarder in JNCO jeans. I was afraid that a strong gust of wind might blow me halfway down Broad Street in Philadephia!
And during my time in the Air Force, I wore the same thing to work every day. At work, I would change into scrubs, which also didn’t fit, and then put my uniform back on to leave for the day. So as you might expect, I really looked forward to having some fashion freedom at the end of my commitment.
Now, I like to mix it up! Normally I wear suit trousers and button-up shirt of various patterns, but I always get the most comments when I wear a bowtie. Patients want to know: "Why the bowtie?" "Is there a special occasion?" "Did you tie that thing yourself?" As I type these remarks, I realize that none of these are necessarily compliments, but that’s beside the point. It is my duty to answer my patients’ questions- dental related or not!
The reason why I started wearing bowties really has more to do with the protective jacket that I wear. The jacket is there to keep water spray and dental materials off of my shirt and pants, and it has a high first button in order to maximize protective coverage. This high first button, being so close to the neck, would cover most of the normal neck tie, rendering it unappreciable. However, the bowtie isn’t hidden at all, being allowed to flourish in all of its glory!
However, I don’t wear a bowtie every day. Much of it depends on how my morning is going. Did I wake up early enough? Did Morty and Klaus give me a run for my money on the walk, and now I’m behind schedule? Did I wear a shirt with a normal collar? V-neck or crew-neck undershirt? All of these things go into the equation when considering whether or not to don a bowtie.
Do you think you or a loved one would look great in a bowtie? Check out www.bowtieclub.com !
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