It’s impossible to get dressed and not think of what other people may think of your outfit, especially if you happen to be a fashion conscious person. Some people are easily influenced by the opinions of others, while some manage to shrug it off and stay true to themselves and their style.
You know what they say: different folks, different strokes.
Of recent, I found myself liking clothing and accessories that would be considered ‘granny-like’ or too mature for my youthful self. Perhaps I wouldn’t even be considering them to be this if it wasn’t pointed out to me. Last Saturday when I did this shoot, this was the opinion of my photographer for the day Gareth Daley. Admittedly, I did lose my confidence just a little when he gave me a slight what-the-hell-are-you-wearing look. It suddenly came down to not whether I liked the dress, but the thought of being unstylish, unattractive and outdated. In that precise moment, my genuine love for the dress became non-existent and this is saddening. It prevents you from actually enjoying your clothes and feeling buoyant.
What was disturbing was the amount of effort I placed in considering someone else’s opinion of my garment. Then there was the emotional and useless energy of trying to get them to understand why it’s beautiful. Essentially, having allowed this, deep down inside it felt like I was unsure or not mature enough to hold my own.
The feeling of not being accepted because of the way we dress haunts us all. As fashion changes and evolves not everyone will choose to do so and that’s okay. This should not be standard protocol for deciding what you should and should not wear. It should not play a role in you judging yourself harshly.
The way you dress projects part of your personality. So why should you have to change the way you dress to be accepted by others, or to feel comfortable among them? Essentially, doing so means not being yourself and this always leads to frustration at some point or the other.
I don’t necessarily think people’s intentions are to hurt you when they share their opinions, however I do think we as people need to become more accepting of differences. If everyone looked the same, acted the same the world would be a boring place.
Today I would like to share with you two blogs that I absolutely love and follow. Both blogs constantly challenge the whole ‘beautiful clothes’ stigma and really manage to help me find the confidence to wear the clothes, that I really want to.
Man Repeller – New York based blogger who wears trends woman love that men hate. Clog shoes, excessive jewellery, harem pants etc
Sussie Bubble – Sussie is like a walking style volcano. She matches nothing with nothing when it comes to her clothes and wears the most impractical clothes 24/7.
Style plays an integral role in displaying your personality. Changing it because of what people think or say will make you unhappy in the end.
www.online-runway.com
http://instagram.com/theonlinerunway
