Author Spotlight
Sydney Decker
Staring down at my outfit for the day, I can’t help but wonder if I’ll get questioned about my Led Zeppelin T-Shirt by my lab partner to see if I can name one of their albums (even though I know I’m an avid listener of their album Physical Graffiti) or if my beat-up black Doc Martens will get even more second glances walking down the hallway.
In any circumstance when I try to either express my groovy personality through a tie-dye shirt or simply throw together a pair of sweatpants and a plain t-shirt, I know I’m instantly at risk of being judged and having assumptions made about me — often with no further context than my clothing.
Whatever suits your style, or even if you’d rather throw on sweatpants and sweatshirts everyday, no one deserves to have their fashion choices made fun of. Yes, clothing is just something to cover our bodies, but it can also demonstrate our interests.
More often than not, it’s liberating to express your interests through cheetah print or neon colors — but it can also lead to unwanted, judgmental assumptions from strangers walking down the street. These thoughts include thinking someone has no style, when they could just be having a lazy day, or that they don’t know how to dress themselves, when someone could just like to mix and match.
When I’m trying on different outfit combinations, I can’t help it that a wave of worry rushes over me, wondering what everyone will say about my outfit — forming judgements about me. Will they assume I lack unique taste if I wear popular brands? Do I risk being seen as out-dated or a try-hard for going my own way? Regardless of being on or off-trend, people will always find reasons to judge.
People shouldn’t care whether or not someone knows the Beatles’ albums by heart if they’re wearing their shirt or is their shirt says “Honolulu” and they’ve never actually been there — it doesn’t affect you, so you don’t question it.
Expressing your interests through fashion is a way to truly feel like and accept yourself.
But the second someone negatively comments on your outfit, you feel self consciousness you think about how much easier it would be to slip into something more anonymous in the hallways to fit in.
There’s always a recurring debate in my mind about what I wear. If I wear Lululemon leggings and a tank top I’ll look like everybody else. But if I decide to wear jeans and Doc Martens, I’ll look like I’m putting too much effort into being “different.”
Call me crazy for analyzing people’s clothes to a ridiculous extent, but this overwhelming concern when putting on an outfit is caused by those who make comments about what someone is wearing and openly accusing them of being “posers” based on their clothes.
I can’t help but get frustrated when I see a teenager wearing an old Rolling Stones band tee and getting flooded with accusatory questions like “do you even listen to them?” and “name five of their songs.”
When I wear my Nirvana t-shirt, I wear it because I regularly blast “Lithium” and “Come as You Are” on my late night drives. And when I see someone wearing a Queen shirt or a shirt referencing the TV show “Friends,” I can’t help but wonder if they actually listen to the band or watch the show — but unlike some people, I can accept that they might just be wearing it because they saw it at Urban Outfitters and thought it would look great with their mom jeans.
You have a right to wear whatever you want — whether you’re trying to express yourself or if you just don’t care so much about what you wear.
Everyone deserves to have the confidence to express their interests authentically through either your vintage bell bottoms or graphic tees with inspiring quotes, because whenever I’m representing what I like, my mood improves and I feel confident when I see the reflection of my stylish outfit in the windows I pass.
And as for the strangers we pass everyday, judging them based on appearance, don’t strictly stick to that initial impression — someone could be having a lazy fashion day.
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