Birthdays are that one time of the year when you celebrate yourself shamelessly. For this special day, most people reach for that specific piece in their closet that makes them feel fabulous. Even under the lousiest circumstances, they feel good about themselves because they look great. Why not dress with that effort every day? While fashion may be considered a superficial, time consuming and money wasting practice, it is much more than that. Style is a great method of expression; it is an instrument to help you learn who you truly are, it is your personal take on fashion.
Art can have endless definitions; however, the essence of every single version is that art is a form of expression. The art of writing is a great way to vent your feelings, a recommended therapy similar to painting and drawing, which are also good for the soul. By the constant practice of these activities, you get to express your true self by getting to know yourself better. However, college students don’t have the time to sit and write their hearts out because there are tests to prepare for, papers to write and parties to go to. Regardless of how many papers you have due, there is one thing you have time to do everyday: get dressed.
Personal style is the way you express yourself, and what better venue than fashion. A recent study from Northwestern University checked the credibility of a concept called enclothed cognition, which is described as “the systematic influence that clothes have on the wearer’s psychological processes” 1. Cognitive psychologist Adam Galinsky and Hajo Adam experimented on what clothes said to you, not about you. The lead researcher in the study, A. Galinsky, said: “Clothes invade the body and the brain putting the wearer into a different psychological state”, so as it turns out, dressing the way you want to feel does work. If everyone were to dress like it is a special day everyday, they might start to believe it. Feeling good about yourself and your appearance will help with your state of mind; a positive person is a happy person. Embracing style means getting more in touch with the inner you. Not only will you be learning from yourself, but you will also look great doing it.
During freshman year in college, I promised myself that I would not get lost in the crowd; the way I kept the promise was by being as eccentric as I dared. As my personal style was developing, traits that I didn’t know I had surfaced. One of the best lessons I have learned about style was by going through my grandmother’s closet. In it I found a lot of clothes from the seventies and eighties that were just my size. Slowly, I began to incorporate pieces from her closet into my outfits. On the way, I learned that I did not have to spend large amounts of money to look great. I just needed a vision.
Like the great Iris Apfel said, “No amount of money can buy you style, it’s just instinctive.”2 Look deep into yourself. Start the journey of getting to know yourself better by going to your closet. Look at it as a way to improve yourself, to be comfortable in your own skin. I have given you a great reason to do it: yourself. Feel good about your choices: it will give you confidence, and with it, you can conquer the world. Remember, every morning, dress like it is your birthday.
Photo taken from http://lookbook.nu/look/1932068-Sweater-Bikbok-Shorts-Sweet-Sixteen
1 Sandra Blakeslee. “Clothes and Self-Percetion.” NYtimes.com. N.p., 2 Apr. 2012. Web. 31 July 2013. 2 Helena Bertodano. “New York Doll: Interview with the Socialite Iris Apfel.” – Telegraph. N.p., 23 Oct. 2011. Web. 31 July 2013.