Catie and I are starting an online zine, that will be, at least in part, about fashion. here's the first little piece i've written for it. So excited! enjoy ;)
Labeling has become so rampant in our society, the parameters have been completely erased. They extend to every iota they can—religion, race, creed, sexual orientation, relationship status, educational status. While every person in the world is, shall we say, an expert at judgment, (and no, it isn’t your fault—it is, however, most definitely your problem when you make your labels public. Speak responsibly, people. And let’s practice some diversity acceptance, hm?) the commercial giants of fashion, the magazines, have seen fit to label you by your style.
I take offense at the very basics of that. First of all, style should never be the same from one person to the other. That is why it is called personal style. So how can anyone be pigeonholed into just one area? And I suppose that I can understand that yes, many people do dress with a certain aesthetic at the forefront of their wardrobe. I, for example, am completely enamored of the ‘girlie’ style—anything with a floral print is mine. But i would not label myself only a “girlie-girl”. Where do my spiked suede sandals come into play with that description? My sexy black jeans? My sportish (well, I suppose I should stay ‘lacking a style’) school-club-issued sweats? Second off, how can you even begin to label the styles themselves? It seems to me that the cross over effects would be enormous. Picking at random, a floral, loose cut tank in my closet could be labeled as “romantic”, “bohemian”, “country”, “girlie”, “sweet”….and that’s just off the top of my head. If what I wear from day to day changes, and there seem to be no innate guidelines for labeling it, why must I be told what my style is?
To find out how accurate currant labeling is, I decided to troll the Internet and cajole some friends into labeling me. Ladies Home Journal declared me Classically Chic (yikes), but I decided to default, since I’m not sure the quiz can count if you’re under 35. Dailyfashion.com called me Preppy, another yikes moment….but hey, fifteen questions can’t determine everything, right? Mystyle.com also declared me “Classic”, thought, and seemed slightly more legitimate. Feeling a little discouraged (classic is not how I see myself), I talked to a few friends. The one who has known me the longest resolutely said ‘romantic bohemian’, a label I thought I could live with. Another replied “romantic!”, and I trust her view point. The last, though, replied classical elegance, and I began to wonder, where are they seeing this in my wardrobe?
The very essence of labeling rejects the fact that you can be more than one thing at once. It makes me feel closed in—I do not want to be seen as just “classical” dressing, because I don’t think that is in any way all I am. So I propose this: ignore those tests which try to ascertain your deep individuality with a few inane questions about whose celebrity style you like most. Figure out what you like by going online and looking, by shopping, by stealing ideas off of your friends. Whatever it takes to make what you wear you. That is my deepest wish for today. Rather than fall asleep by individually labeling each item in my closet tonight, I’m going to think about the outfit of my dreams. Do the same, friends.
