Like it’s my job

I’ve decided to write this blog because I’ve got a feeling that I’m missing out on something good. I love art, music, theater, and literature, and I’ve had a great time experimenting with all these things at some point in my life. I’ve been wondering lately, though, why I can’t say the same about fashion. These are the reasons that came to mind…

• It’s not for me. I’ve had the impression that fashion is always for somebody else: rich people, skinny people, vain people, young(er) people, people with a stronger sense of identity, people with a weaker sense of identity, etc. It has a rep for being mean and pretentious, which artists, musicians, actors, and writers NEVER are, wink wink.
• The big scary question. A lot of people (myself included) have written it off as a frivolous thing to care about, but the question it poses, “How do you want the world to see you?” is pretty heavy stuff.
• Money. Clothing is too expensive.

Then I started examining this “what am I missing?” feeling and found the questions that keep tempting me to change my ways…

• It’s cool when other people do it. I’ve been a fan of other people’s fashion sense for a long time on the street, online, and in magazines. I even had the good fortune to be a design intern at Women’s Wear Daily once upon a time. I get such a kick out of the teenagers that hang out in Chinatown wearing colors I didn’t even think came in neon and the old lady on metro who let her hair go steely gray and then spiked it. They’re not scared of the fashion police. Why should I be?
• The spice of life. I’m a wannabe foodie at heart. I dig the colors, textures, flavors, and the culture surrounding food. Eating is a basic part of everyday life, but also one of the best parts if you put some love into it. So why couldn’t dressing be like that?
• It’s not about money. Or at least, I don’t think it has to be. From what I’ve heard, most creative stuff is made by people who are broke. I may not like spending money on clothes, but I have a closet full of them anyway and I paid for them all, so it is really a shame I didn’t like the process or the result more, don’t you think?

My conclusion is, I really can’t be surprised that going about this personal style thing in a half-hearted way hasn’t produced much that I’m proud of. And this has me wondering: if I were going to be serious about it, what would I do? It is a question the design-geek in me gets very excited to answer. I’d have a vision of what being successful would look like and set positive goals (better than “Don’t look dumb” and “Don’t be naked”)! I’d seek inspiration, do research, and experiment! I’d…write a blog about it, maybe! And hopefully, I’d find myself saying “I have nothing to wear” a lot less and “I found the perfect…” at lot more.

Next up…Fashion Immersion!