After being faced with my first job interview in what seemed like forever, I realized I am ill-equipped with “interview clothes.” I am as casual as they come these days. To whip up an outfit others would deem professional is almost as stressful as the interview process itself. I feel as though I am an actress simply playing dress up in hopes of landing a leading role. It’s sometimes confusing because what is appropriate for you might not be appropriate for someone else. In addition, having to play dress up bites off a hefty chunk of your physical persona. If someone were to see you outside of work, they might be surprised to see you in your non-working, true-you clothes. “Is that really you?” OK, that was somewhat of a stretch. It’s not like you pulled a Clark Kent / Superman switch on them.

I will admit right here that even at my own prom, I insisted on wearing Chuck Taylor All Stars (or Chucks, as people endearingly refer to them). But of course, my mom did the well-meaning motherly thing and intervened.

“But this is your prom! You’re supposed to dress up and be girly.” The bottom line was she had a say in my formal attire and Chucked my idea. I had to wear fancy-schmancy heels in lieu of my Chucks. If prom was supposed to be an important night of my high school career, and I wanted to wear my beloved Chucks, isn’t that saying something about how I feel about them? Why would I choose to wear something else for a job interview?

Perhaps I am being slightly stubborn about this because I do understand the mechanics and purpose of why you should dress up for an interview. Anyone could dress up nicely and lace the pearls around their neck with a Colgate smile. But that doesn’t prove anything aside from knowing how to follow fashion straight from magazine spreads.

My friends could tell you that I am the last person who would want to touch a pair of heels. They are foreign objects worn for what seems to be a contest among women to brag about how high they can wear them.

I have written this much but have not solved my dilemma. I have an interview tomorrow with nothing in mind to wear. Sometimes I gamble with the whole, “If it’s meant to be, then …” But at the same time, it’s as if I’m tempting people not to hire me if I decide not to dress up to par.

This whole unspoken (perhaps spoken for the majority) code of interview attire is machinating my chance of getting hired because I do not want to follow the rules. That is my fabricated excuse budding from my guilty conscience.

So do I want to break the rules? Black Chucks it is. Apply to jobs accordingly. Dress happily.

I am sure this is about as rebellious as not brushing your teeth before bed. Wait, is that considered rebellious or mostly an act of laziness? Either way, it gives me an edge Mr. Rogers would be proud of.

-Khris Pecjo is a communications junior.

-This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec.