Women, in general, make better fashion choices than men. Men generally break fashion rules once a day, and so there aren't many expectations. But when women fall, they fall hard. It hurts, because in these moments you see that sometimes women can't see the forest for the trees, and when women make bad fashion decisions, everyone hurts.
You can express yourself by the way you dress. No matter what you wear (or don't wear) you are expressing something about yourself. I used to think this was a stupid way of thinking about fashion or whatever, but I'm pretty convinced that clothing is a very public means of expressing oneself. So let's look at some of the ridiculous ways girls express themselves.
Some girls are schizophrenic. I've noticed this in my world literature course, which seems to be about a third independent and about two-thirds Greek, at least in terms of fashion. Earlier this semester, when it was cold, girls would walk into class wearing a North Face jacket, jeans, and tennis shoes, obviously suggesting that they are not interested in their appearance that day. No biggie. Incidentally, these same girls have spent time layering makeup, picking out "glamorous" earrings, and fixing their hair. While I'm sure these girls are adept at doing all of these things, I think it must take at least 30 minutes to get it all right. Please. Your clothing is telling me you don't care, but the cake on your face says otherwise. You say you want to take it easy? I don't believe it.
Fashion can be a way to express yourself, but you might want to be sure that you are in fact expressing yourself and not some fashion designer out to make a buck. Every year, many girls at Auburn adopt a new handful of fashion trends. With such a quick turnover, you wonder if people are really expressing themselves or being cogs in a machine. And what does that fashion-machine express? Lets take a look at Ugg boots in Alabama. Obviously winterwear, these heavy slippers are such an aesthetic eyesore that I'm pretty sure they are only intended to be used where snow will cover up their hideous appearance. And in such climes, I am all for their use. But in Alabama? Seriously? I'm from Florida and all I need in the winter is a pair of socks and shoes, and those for only a month. I don't think that Ugg wearers actually look at these shoes and think, "Hey, these look so cute!" so much as "Everyone else has got them, I suppose I should fall in line." And what that says to me is that a girl is so caught up in the fashion whirlpool that she can no longer think for herself. Sure, this paragraph seems a little nasty, but I'll just remind you why it's important to fight fire with fire:
So how do you express yourself through fashion? Step 1: Don't shop at Urban Outfitters. A lot of people seem to think that UO offers an alternative wardrobe that runs counter to traditional fashion trends. The aesthetics seem to be different, but the methods remain the same. UO presents an image of alternative dress while relying on the same pulses of fashion and dress that clothe women so ridiculously as mentioned in this extensive Cut the Chatter exposé. T-shirts for $30, jeans scratched and torn to look like you've actually loved a pair down to its threads. Most UO wearers seem schizophrenic themselves because the prices are so high, but even worse is the UO representative who has a complete wardrobe provided by the company. It isn't really alternative, since people end up representing a different image created by someone else, instead of their own ideas and personality. I remember seeing urban outfitted people in New York City last Sping Break with their iPods. I can only assume that they were listening to real alternative music, like Jet or the Killers.
Chris will be closing out our series on fashion, and I hope you enjoy it. At the core of our frustration is the fact that so many people in their clothing choices have failed to express themselves, and express something usually far more ridiculous than themselves. Dress for yourself, not someone else.
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