All dressed up & nowhere to go

I need some help from my readers.

I make a regular trip for coffee to Wawa, a convenience store near my house. I often grab a soft pretzel and a soda for later. I’m usually dressed in shorts or sweatpants and maybe a t-shirt. If I’m running straight from a Zoom meeting, I’ll have on a half-buttoned long-sleeve Oxford.

I’m not a slob, but I regularly push the envelope. Throw in my crazy color schemes — I’m not the best in figuring out what matches — and I have my moments. In fact, the other day I was a mismatched nightmare. I had an orange shirt and green shorts. They kind of matched, but hey, it’s just Wawa, right? It wasn’t a black-tie event or anything.

Most trips I’m in and out of the store. I don’t get much of a reaction. I’m invisible to the rest of the customers and they’re invisible to me. We’re all just in our own little worlds trying to get in and get out.

Here’s where it gets interesting. I had a different experience last week. I had to wear my blue suit. I used to wear one every day for work. My employer moved to business casual and none of my stops in the years since have required formal dress. It was strange getting dressed up in my “stiff uniform” again.

Oh I’ve had to wear a suit to weddings and special events, but it’s still not an everyday thing. I was so out of practice that worried I might forget how to tie my tie. Thank goodness for muscle memory.

But here’s the part that struck me as really odd. As I mentioned, most days when I go to Wawa, no one notices me. This time I wear my suit and a woman held open the door for me. She even offered to buy me a coffee. Two guys in yellow safety gear gave me bro-nods. And the cashier asked “can I help you.” I’ve gone to the same cashier countless times in the past. The most I’ve ever gotten from him is a grunt. This time I half expected a red carpet to appear from out of nowhere.

The difference was rather noticeable. The power of one little stuffy suit. I had people waving to me from every different direction.

I’m not sure what to think. Do I normally look like I’m going to rob the place and people just avoid me? Do they think I’m suspicious and give me a wide berth? When I wear my suit, do I become someone to trust? My wife teased me that they think I’m a used car salesman and were shaking their heads to keep me away.

This is where my readers come in. What do you think?

No matter what, I’m thinking I need to dress up more often before I make my daily Wawa run!