At the beginning of quarantine, I downloaded Tik Tok; although I was once a Tik Tok hater, I now admit that I cannot stop scrolling through my FYP. What made me fall in love with the app was the fact that these one-minute videos had me screaming “OMG THIS IS WHAT I’VE BEEN SAYING!” as people perfectly explained thoughts and feelings I didn’t know others related to.
Today, I want to talk about one particular sound, and if you have Tik Tok you might know what I am talking about. It goes a little like, “Wait wait wait… are you talking about this style? Or this style? Uh cause I could also do like this style?” and it goes on. Each time the voiceover asks a variation of “this style?” the person changes their outfit to a different look demonstrating the endless possibilities when it comes to fashion.
Let me tell you, I have never loved a sound more. Throughout the years I have been trying to define my style but each morning I wake up a new person and who knows what she is going to like that day. Will I dress preppy or grunge? Maybe boho or sporty? All I know is I love them all and it usually causes internal panic. Now, I am here to say that letting one style define you is a thing of the past.
People use clothing to express their interests, feelings, thoughts, and it often brings communities together. The same thing could be said about music. However, I don’t know about you, but if someone told me that I could only listen to one type of music I would simply lose my mind.
I know I’m not the only one feeling this way because I spent a lot of time reading through the comments of said Tik Toks and realized that a lot of us are out here living the same lives. So, I ask, why is this a frustration that so many of us are experiencing? No rule forces us to choose a style and it is pretty much a known fact that personal style is forever changing. Imagine if you still wore what you strutted down the halls in when you were in middle school. Are you cringing? Yeah, so am I.
That being said, I feel like there is more of an unspoken rule set by society; the rule is not that our style can’t evolve, but that we can’t wear various styles on a day-to-day basis and love them all. Have your friends or family ever questioned your look when you tried out something new? You might have heard something like, “What are you wearing?” or “I just have never seen you in something like that.” I have, and it usually made me feel like an imposter in my own clothes!
Honestly, you should never let anyone tell you that a style doesn’t suit your personality. As long as it makes you confident, that’s all that should matter. If you want to wear high heels religiously or dye your hair multiple colors, deck yourself out in maxi dresses and wide-brimmed hats or band tees with black chunky boots, then that is exactly what you should do. Even if it’s all in the same week.