For as long as I can remember, appearance has been everything.

It was the image we projected through our behavior, our actions and the way we dressed.

As a kid, it was something I learned early on.

On Sundays – especially after my First Communion – mom, dad, my sister and I would put on our “Sunday best” for Mass.

As soon as we got home, those clothes were history, returned to the hangers we got them from until next week. It was a sign, not just of reverence, but also of respect for others who attended.

Schools had rules. Clothes had to be neat, clean and tear-free. We couldn’t wear blue jeans – or “dungarees” as many called them then.

Since then, schools have wavered with dress codes – some more stringent than others. Over the years, there have been calls for a more uniform look involving polo shirts and khakis. Some of those ideas changed when parents raised concerns over costs – especially in families of multiple students.

A quick internet check of policies in some local districts supports those changes.

In Lehighton, for example, the policy calls good grooming and dress the responsibility of all parents and students. It continues, saying that proper dress is conducive to maintaining a “constructive educational atmosphere.” No baggy, oversized pants or those that expose undergarments are allowed. Shoes need to be strapped or secured at the ankles, and heels, clogs and beach-type footware is forbidden.

At Pleasant Valley, “lower garments” must cover three quarters of the thigh. Cutoff shorts aren’t allowed.

Tamaqua, perhaps, has the most stringent rules, mandating that “student dress should be such that decency and safety are not compromised for comfort or social impact.” A condensed version of the dress code has no less than 16 bullet points covering shirts to sunglasses and pants to purses.

Together – no matter the district – the rules reflect the wishes of the communities they serve.

Those rules morph into everyday life as students move into the workforce, where employers sometimes set dress requirements for workers who represent them.

One of those places is the U.S. Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that staff for the chamber’s Sergeant-At-Arms wouldn’t enforce a dress code on the chamber floor.

Schumer’s edict doesn’t, however, apply to each of the senators’ staffers.

Almost immediately, fingers pointed at John Fetterman, Pennsylvania’s junior senator, who’s been voting from doorways while wearing shorts and hoodies since he was technically breaking the chamber’s rules on proper attire.

Fetterman’s been through a lot in the last few years, suffering a stroke while on the campaign trail last year. The first-termer was hospitalized earlier this year with a bout of clinical depression. He says the relaxed attire makes him more comfortable.

That may be the case, but Fetterman was an easy target given his 6’8” stature. He’s not the first to cast a ballot in gym clothes.

Naysayers say Fetterman and Schumer should be embarrassed even though Fetterman hasn’t yet voted from the floor in other-than-formal attire.

Roger Marshall, a Republican from Kansas, said Fetterman and Schumer should be embarrassed, adding that senators should do their best to maintain a certain level of decorum.

Susan Miller, a Maine Republican, joked she might wear a bikini on the Senate floor.

Officially, there are no rules regarding attire in the Senate. It’s tradition that men wear a suit and tie and women wear dresses with covered shoulders or pants suits. In the last few years, sleeveless dresses were deemed appropriate for women.

Though it’ll take some getting used to seeing, it might be OK for senators to cast their votes on critical issues that face the nation – and ultimately the world – while dressed for a backyard cookout.

Picture Bernie Sanders in a tropical shirt and white trousers. How about Diane Feinstein in shorts? Or John Fetterman in a hoodie and gym shorts.

It happened Wednesday in the “do as I say, not as I do” Senate.

Fetterman presided over the chamber Wednesday, promising to wear a suit if House Republicans agree to keep the federal government open past month’s end.

“If those jagoffs in the House stop trying to shut our government down, and fully support Ukraine, then I will save democracy by wearing a suit on the Senate floor next week,” he said.

Adam Jentleson, Fetterman’s chief of staff, tweeted that “the world did not end” with Fetterman holding the gavel.

It’s just too bad that Jentleson and others who work for senators could only watch. In their suits and ties. And dresses or pants suits.

Ed Socha is a retired newspaper editor with more than 40 years’ experience in community journalism. Reach him at tneditor@tnonline.com.

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.