Clothes make the man Why Should I Care

Why Should I Care?

For modern audiences, it's easy to forget about issues of class in Shakespeare's famous play. Yet Hamlet is very much concerned with what's appropriate for certain classes to do. Here, Polonius says that appearances count for a lot. It's how you can tell someone's rank and status, and that's a big deal in Shakespeare's day.

But is it in ours? Do clothes still "proclaim" us? We might think not. We don't have sumptuary laws anymore, and we aren't all that interested in social class like Shakespeare's peeps were back in the day.

Think again. We might not have the social ranks, but we certain invest a lot in what people wear. An example? If you see a woman walking down the street with a Gucci purse and a pair of Louboutin pumps, we're betting your first thought won't be that she's lowbrow. Designer labels and celebrity stylists make sure we're always in the know about what's expensive and what's not.

Our stake in clothes doesn't stop there. Doctors, firefighters, and police officers all wear specific uniforms so we know exactly who they are in a crowd. Kids with diabetes use medical bracelets to alert people. And we know we can find at least one team jersey in your closet to show off your team spirit. So there you have it. We can tell someone's job, wealth, team, and even sickness just by looking at him. It turns out clothes do make the man—and woman—even today.