Funny where life takes you. One day, you see someone nearly everyday – the next, they vanish from your life for (almost) good.

This was the case with a classmate of mine from elementary school – naturally, because I am a cold robot of a human being whose interpersonal connections are fleeting at best.

Anyway, I ran into him some time ago after a long period of not seeing him and we agreed to have lunch. Little did I know this lunch would make an impression on me that I haven’t been able to shake since.We were sitting in some chain restaurant in SoCal, enjoying our fries and frothy shakes, when a guy walks by wearing a v-neck shirt.

My old classmate plainly comments that he hates v-neck shirts. I, of course, do my best not to flinch as most of my wardrobe – maybe 80% – is v-neck shirts. Pokerface equipped, I ask him why.

“They’re very feminine. Really girly-looking.”

That was such a ridiculous assertion – I’d seen so many hot, straight male movie stars wearing v-necks. This couldn’t be the case!

After that lunch, I never spoke with him again – not because of his beliefs – but his words never left me.

I couldn’t fathom just why he felt this way. I tried to prod his brain later during that meal, but he never explained any further. It was pretty much the most basic way he could state his opinion.

See, I can sort of understand this perspective when the v-neck’s cut is so deep that a man’s nippies are almost showing. But for a subtle cut, I don’t see much that differentiates a v-neck from a standard circular cut.

Yet that brief exchange always followed me, made me second-guess my entire closet.

This went on for years and is actually still going. There’s no real resolution here. I still feel very conflicted about the image I’m projecting when I wear a v-neck. The only change is that my assertions that they are not feminine have become more vehement and volatile.

So much so that I’ve just written a blog about it. Wow – you should really just not rekindle certain relationships. Thanks, Mike!