Did you hear? White is the new black and silver is the new gold. Platform flip-flops, gauchos, and chokers are back in and if you don’t have your toes french-manicured then you can’t sit with us! No, I’m kidding. On a more serious note, spring has sprung—or will come, if you live anywhere else in the world besides South Bend.
With that, Vogue, Marie Claire and every other fashion mag you can get your hands on will assure you that they and the fortune-tellers they’re been holding hostage are magically “in the know” about what’s cool and what’s not this coming season. What’s more, the semi-annual fashion weeks held in Milan, Paris, New York and London last month would indicate that capes and animal sweaters are the telltale signs of haute couture.
I don’t know about you, but if I Facebook-stalked myself thirty years from now and saw pictures of me wearing a cape, I’m sure one of the first things I’d ask myself would be: who said it was ok to celebrate Halloween in March? As Gianni Versace once said, “Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way you live.” (Source)
Hear, hear! While Vogue, in and of itself, is an institution (I freely admit that I look to it as a constant source of inspiration and wisdom), does that mean if Anna Wintour jumped off a bridge, you should, too? We must learn to think for ourselves.
Come on, we’ve all been there: dropped way more than our monthly allowance on something that’s gone out of style in less time than it took to be express shipped from Tobi. If you own anything with skulls, cats or crosses on it, then you know what I’m talking about. That’s not to say that these things aren’t “cool,” per se. But fashion is one of the few ways in which we can express ourselves without words, so let us always remember to choose what we wear wisely.
There is no right or wrong when it comes to what’s in your closet, except for maybe those gauchos. Your opinion is the only one that counts! If you want to look sexy, look sexy; if you want to look punk, look punk; if you want to look retro, look retro; if you want to look like you rolled out of bed two minutes before your 9:30, work it girl (cue Beyoncé: “I woke up like dis”). Just remember to do you and put on whatever makes you feel comfortable and, most of all, empowered.
Whether you like it or not, the clothes that we wear are the most basic and accessible means by which we understand one another. It’s how we represent ourselves. You don’t have to be fashion-savvy or well-read in Vanity Fair to have style. For example, even though my roommate didn’t know the difference between a cardigan and cashmere until last semester, the girl always looks like a 10: athletic and down to earth, yet effortlessly chic. Her style, just like her personality, is entirely different from my own yet it somehow wordlessly embodies who she is to a T.
Inevitably, your personal fashion endeavors will overlap with mainstream popularity from time to time, and there’s nothing wrong with that—things are popular for a reason! However, it is crucial that you maintain perspective. There is a certain integrity in neglecting to buy into what everyone else thinks is cool. Remember: timeless, not trendy. You are an individual.
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