“You look like Trinity from the Matrix.” One of my colleagues said, as we met in the hall of our office building. As we climbed stairs to the 4th floor, where the sales and marketing team usually sit, I looked down at my outfit, then back to him arched my left eyebrow and asked, why?
I was thinking, if I had worn my black long leather coat maybe I would agree, but the outfit I had didn’t even remotely resemble Trinity. Did I miss anything in the Matrix? It’s possible.
To my question why, he replied, because you are in leather. I said ah and continued walking up.
I recalled another moment a few years ago in a previous job, when my male colleague asked me “where is your motorbike?”
My reaction was … Do I need a motorcycle to wear leather? This reaction surprised him.
He said, obviously not, but usually, people wear full leather outfits for riding their motorbikes.
I was pondering how to reply to such a stereotypical thought in just a few sentences. I could talk about this topic for hours and he didn’t seem to be interested in deep philosophical discussion.
I asked him if my particular outfit, looked like a motorcyclist? And he answered no, and promptly added that it looked nice and cool actually. (This was the type of man who was always making jokes, making people around him, laugh loudly. And this was probably the best compliment he ever gave me) :)
Finally, I said that leather has many qualities and could be worn casually, and I am a perfect example of that. He checked my outfit again and nodded in agreement, saying yes, sure, why not.
Since that point in time, my full leather outfits became part of my casual look.
I felt encouraged by the fact I can help people to see leather differently. To give them living proof that leather can be classy, casual, practical, or whatever they want it to be, depending on the style.
This is how my mission to break stereotypes began.
When I finally entered the door on the 4th floor, another colleague turned to me and called me Trinity. She said she liked my appearance and that it looked very cool, all black leather. I thanked her and continued to the only free seat in our flex open space office.
I didn’t feel like Trinity, and I didn’t have my motorbike parked in front of the building. It was raining in the morning, which left me with no desire to put any effort into dressing up, so I chose casual leather sweatpants, a black sweater and I put on a leather hoodie-style jacket. It’s a comfy outfit rather than a sexy woman in a black long leather coat with severe look who is about to save the world.
Not this time, I told myself… maybe tomorrow.
Bonjour les gens ne sont pas habitué de voir une femme vetu tout en cuir. Je trouve cela magnifique et si raffiné. Mais decu d en voir peu 😔C est de tres bon gout. Quand vous portez pantalon en cuir bottes en cuir et long manteau en cuir et marchait dans la rue je serais bouche bais et les yeux qui brillent de voir tout ce si beau cuir bouger. C est si beau , elegant, puissant et domiant. J adore porter un pantalon en cuir agneau . C est une adiction si je pouvais je ne porterais que des vetements en cuir. C est comme une seconde peau on se sent protege dedans mais aussi c est telement agreab…
I find this story very interesting as myself, I am someone not fitting into stereotypes. When I dressed up completely in leather (for carnival), that was in black leather jeans, shirt, Schott Perfecto style jacket and gloves, and my supervisor saw me, she asked me, too, where I left my motorcycle (and there were other remarks of this kind, too). Since I knew about the associations, I took them always as compliment and laughed with them. I even had a very nice talk with someone after such a compliment. Once, I did groceries in full leather and a child complimented me, telling I look like an agent. I needed to smile and found it really funny; I told him then…
... and if the jokes about Trinity and the motorcyclist were only a symptom of fear?... I try to explain myself better, the arrival at the office of a Woman who only with her appearance proves herself strong, intelligent, somehow superior to they may have triggered in them the almost unconscious, or worse, conscious desire to attack her, and jokes like that I think have that purpose too, but D.e.n.i_C's wonderful answers showed where intelligence was!
IT gives me so much that you hear the motorcycle comment as well! Strange enough, I hear it mostly from men when I wear leather allover.
J'ai l'impression de me voir en télétravail ! 😉