“But you look so well!”: (Un)professionalizing chronic pain through academic dress

Closeted Identities

My closet contains good and bad clothes, outdoor and home clothes, flare-up and normal pain clothes, smart and stupid clothes. The designations often overlap. It’s significant that I spend more time fretting over looking stupid, meaning visibly pained, foggy, failing at smart casual dress codes, than I do over my comfort in professional settings. Looking smart is more essential, if I want to look worthy of and committed to my job.

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