If you have been reading the blog for a while or follow me on Instagram, you will know that fashion and style is quite important to me. I enjoy studying fashion history from an academic perspective, and I love using fashion in my personal image. However, fashion is still mocked and derided widely, from snarky people on Twitter to offhanded comments in person. Today I’m going to be asking a few difficult questions, starting with: why is fashion important to us? And is it almost universally put down?
To quote Cassidy Zachary and April Calahan of Dressed podcast, “with over seven billion people in the world, we all have one thing in common: every day, we all get dressed”. Clothing is something that unites us across cultures. Although our clothing may not look or feel the same, it serves to keep us covered from the elements, to express ourselves, and to send a message (or messages) to those around us. Much like food, clothing is a common factor in all of our lives, no matter where we live or what we do.
Your Image Matters, Whether You Like It or Not
No matter what you say, your personal appearance is important. You have approximately 3-5 seconds to make a first impression, and you usually haven’t spoken in that time. Impressions and opinions of you change, but it is unrealistic to think that your appearance doesn’t play a role in what people think of you. Example: if you need to make a return of a defective item and upon reaching the customer service desk, the manager that you are speaking to rolls up in sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt, do you have much faith in that interaction? I wouldn’t. And if you are taking tennis lessons and at your first lesson, your instructor arrives in a three piece suit, would you think much tennis will be happening? Probably not. Your clothing and personal grooming are a reflection of you as a whole. That’s the bottom line of it.
**I know that fifteen of you immediately raged, “I DON’T JUDGE PEOPLE ON WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE.” Quite frankly, I don’t believe you. It is human nature. Most reasonable humans don’t stick like glue to that first impression, but when we need to make a snap judgement, we use what we have in front of us. Why disadvantage yourself from the very start?
Fashion Isn’t a Serious Topic
The academic world does take fashion seriously as a topic of study. I mean, yes, there are individual academics who dismiss it, but there is always someone who will dismiss a topic. However, outside of the academy, people like to dismiss fashion as a flippant and fluffy topic that doesn’t have any bearing on life. Guess what? Fashion is a multi-billion dollar industry, with a complex and fascinating history behind it, and just because it is a fluff topic for you doesn’t mean it is for everyone. (Although this Forbes article argues that it is for more and more people…) You aren’t a better person than I (or anyone else is) because you choose to ignore fashion. And putting it down doesn’t mean that you should be taken more seriously.
We all have different passions and interests, and it isn’t for me to say whether or not yours are worthwhile. We don’t have to justify the work, time, effort, or knowledge we put into our passions. And if style and fashion is your passion, more power to you. Maybe that looks like sewing your own garments, maybe it looks like you reading Harper’s Bazaar cover to cover, maybe it looks like you learning fashion history. The fact that it is fashion based doesn’t make it any less important or worthwhile.
Ps. My favourite is the person who will dismiss fashion as a “stupid” topic but proceed to debate the merits of using lilac paint in their kitchen.
Fashion /= Expensive
There are a lot of assumptions that come along with style and fashion. One of the most common? That anyone interested in fashion is wealthy. Fun fact: I have a quarterly budget of $200 for my wardrobe. Meaning I’m not exactly swimming in Alexander McQueen and Givenchy. When I’m looking at someone, I’m not checking their clothing labels to see if they have Dior on. I want to see that they are a) appropriately dressed for the occasion, b) wearing clean clothing, and c) wearing clothing that fits. I know that there is an argument that more expensive clothing will fit you better/last longer, but realistically, we all have a budget. You can look put together and stylish (whatever that means to you) without spending a mortgage payment on an outfit. Don’t assume that someone is wealthy (or in debt) because they like fashion.
Insecurity is Not An Excuse
I think that every human being on the planet would be lying if they say that they’ve never felt insecure about their body. Carrying fat somewhere you don’t want to, being too tall or too short, being a specific shape, “bingo arms”, whatever it is, we’ve all encountered it. And I have to say, we will all probably continue to have these moments sporadically throughout our lives. (Much like you question why you can’t understand equations in Excel spreadsheets or bake a soufflé properly. We all have moments of doubt.) However, a lot of people use that body insecurity to put down fashion. The same people who will Tweet about having difficulty finding a bathing suit will also dismiss all fashion bloggers because there are more important things to talk about.
This is not to say that body issues and feelings should be ignored, but they are not an excuse to crap on an entire industry. Is advertising in style and fashion problematic? Yes, it can be. Does that mean that every company, designer, and individual who enjoys fashion is worthless? Nope, but your snarky, bitter Tweets make sure to denigrate everything about fashion. And I just have to ask, does putting down anyone who enjoys fashion make you like your own body more? I’m guessing no. I think most sports are stupid, but I don’t take that to mean that anyone who enjoys sports is stupid. But somehow, that is okay with fashion… Don’t put down all fashion and style because of personal insecurities.
Why is fashion important to you?
Cheers,
The Historian
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