What Are Your Ghost Clothes?… And Why They Are Important!
Have you heard of the term “ghost clothes” or your “ghost outfit”? It’s the concept that the clothes you’re wearing when you die are the ones you’ll wear for eternity.
The reason we have this concept is largely due to movies (think Patrick Swayze’s burgundy polo in Ghost or Ernesto De La Cruz’s mariachi costume in Coco). In a movie, if a character dies, but needs to show up as a ghost at some point, it would be confusing for the audience to see that character wearing a different set of clothes from the last time they saw them on screen (when the person was alive). It would be weird to show a ghost changing its clothes every day. After all, it’s not like the individual takes their wardrobe with them when they die.
So, whatever you’re wearing at any given moment will be your outfit for eternity if you die right then. But is that a hard and fast rule? What if someone dies in the shower? Are they a naked ghost? What if someone gets hit by a bus on their way to a costume party or has a heart-attack while performing as a team mascot? Do those ghosts have to wear their ridiculous one-off outfits for the rest of time? Maybe those individuals are the ones issued the white sheets with the eye-holes.
The concept of “ghost clothes” got me thinking about what I would like my hypothetical, afterlife outfit to be. More specifically, what would I enjoy wearing forever? What outfit represents me so accurately that my loved ones would immediately recognize me if I decided to pull some Jacob Marley-esque shenanigans?
Lastly, and most importantly for this article… why is it important for YOU to identify your own “ghost outfit”?
First, I’ll give you mine and then we’ll work on yours.
There are three specific outfits that spring to my mind that I would enjoy wearing for eternity and each one speaks to a somewhat different aspect of my personality and style. They’re all different, but they’re all still “me”.
The first outfit is essentially my Perfect Business Casual Uniform. I wore a variation of this outfit last month while out to breakfast with my wife.
It consists of a tweed jacket, oxford-cloth button-down shirt, cashmere sweater, flannel trousers (or khaki pants), brown lace-ups, and a newsboy cap. This outfit is so soft, warm, and relaxing to wear while still feeling elegant and rather distinguished.
My second outfit is my go-to, casual outfit in cold weather (which is the weather I like best). It’s a pair of loose jeans, sturdy boots (in brown), a lightweight flannel shirt, an Aran cable-knit sweater, and a leather flight jacket. I feel like I can take on the world in this outfit and I love how rugged and handsome it is. Heavy boots, a thick sweater, and a leather jacket are all incredibly masculine.
My third outfit is the one I highlighted in last week’s “OOTW” article. It’s a tuxedo with an overcoat and homburg. Whenever I put on a tux, I feel like an amplified version of myself, in all the good ways. I feel taller, stronger, more handsome, more worldly, more experienced, more charismatic, and more intelligent.
These three outfits all speak to different aspects of my personality, even though they all fall on different spots on the formality spectrum. Each of these outfits makes me feel good about myself.
So, why is it important for you to identify your own “ghost outfits”? Well, I believe figuring it out will help you hone your own personal style. Using your “ghost clothes” as a base, you can branch out into similar genres or niches. Use your “ghost clothes” as your “base camp” for your sartorial journey.
Take my three examples… they show my love for classic menswear that is largely impervious to trends. I like simple, non-flashy, “old-fashioned” styles. Elegant yet practical. Handsome and unfussy. Using any one of my examples, I could logically create a wardrobe full of similar looks that all reflect those aesthetics.
Say you’ve decided that your “ghost clothes” (the clothes you’ll feel comfortable in forever, remember) are a flannel shirt and jeans. Perhaps that means that your personal style leans toward the more utilitarian, “workwear” side of things. Great! So maybe jeans, military-inspired trousers like green fatigues, denim shirts, leather jackets, and cool boots are up your alley.
Maybe your “ghost clothes” are a hoodie and sneakers. You’ll probably feel comfortable (and confident) exploring streetwear.
If you’re like me and your “ghost clothes” involve tailoring… what kind of tailoring, specifically? Sure, I love suits but I am more drawn to rougher “country” styles like tweeds and thick flannels. Maybe your tailoring affinity propels you more towards easier, more relaxed tailoring in the Italian style, if loafers and open-collar dress shirts are more your thing.
You can use the concept of “What Would I Want To Wear Forever?” to branch out into things you’ve maybe never tried before and figure out what outfits are truly “you”.
