For high school, I went to a boarding school that had “formal dinner” four times a week: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Men were to wear a coat and tie, and women a nice dress.
So I’m getting dressed for my first formal dinner ever, and I had never learned to tie a tie, and was quite shy, and didn’t want to ask for help. Instead, I put on a nice black turtleneck with my sportscoat and slacks.
No one said anything. I continued to do this for years. I was the only one.
Then, senior year comes around, I’m less shy and I’m hanging out with dorm mates, and someone finally asks me: how come you get to wear a turtleneck to formal dinner?
They were shocked to learn that I didn’t ask anyone and just did it. It seemed the entire school just assumed I had some bizarre medical condition that meant I couldn’t wear a tie. And not a soul had asked me about it, for more than 3 years.
So the next formal dinner, 5 guys from my dorm are wearing turtlenecks. The next, it’s like 25 guys from various dorms. The next, it looks like a Steve Jobs impersonator convention: 2/3 of the guys in turtlenecks, including one of the younger faculty members. There had apparently been a brisk inter-dorm trade in turtlenecks, to get everybody outfitted.
AI-generated image of the trend starting
At the following morning’s assembly, the dean announced that the school’s Code of Conduct had been updated: turtlenecks were not considered appropriate attire for formal dinner.
I’m hearing the news and thinking crap when they asked why I was allowed to wear turtlenecks I should have just made something up.
But then the dean continues “.. except for Charles. Charles can still wear a turtleneck.”
Half the school had been looking at me from the moment turtlenecks had been mentioned, so a lot of people saw me go through a cycle of shock, then fear, then relief, and were cracking up.
My understanding is that the school’s Code of Conduct actually has my name in it. Every now and then, someone asks why, and gets this story.
That also means that I could visit the school sometime, attend a formal dinner, and wear my signature turtleneck.
Which is good, because I still can’t tie a tie without referring to notes.