projection / perception
It’s basic human instinct to judge other people by the way they look. By nature, we flock towards those who look like us, those who seem like they could provide some sort of identification and sense of belonging for us. We’re constantly wanting to feel like we belong. Because of this, the way we dress does say a lot about us; this goes without question. The way we dress and the way we present ourselves is our way of projecting who we are to those around us. But just how much does the way we present ourselves say about us? Where do these projections and their resulting assumptions cross a line? At what point does the way we perceive someone say more about us than it does about them?
ELIZABETH
What does the term “personal style” mean to you? To me, it’s how you most want to present yourself to the world and how you feel the most comfortable doing so. When you dress yourself, do you think about what other people might think of you because of the way you dress? In one way, I’ll always want to wear something I’m happy and confident in. But in another way, I’m always kind of cognizant of where I’m going and the type of people I’ll be around, and I’ll dress the way I feel like I should look in that place.I’m always trying to cater to that in some degree. What are two examples of how you might dress yourself differently in different social situations? Between the two places I’ve done internships, New York and San Francisco, they’re very different. So when I was in New York I was always trying to look very posh, very intense and modern, whereas here in San Francisco, it’s a lot more casual and I feel a lot more comfortable wearing, for example, fun pink pants to work. Both of those aesthetics I feel are very tied to each respective ciity. Have you ever felt like you’ve been in a situation where the way you dress has affected you in a potentially negative way? Yes, I think so. Definitely sometimes if I’m wearing a little bit more revealing things just kind of walking around or on public transit, I kind of get looks I wouldn’t normally get and don’t really appreciate. Or if I’m at a sort of grungier type of bar or something and I’m wearing my work clothes, while I might not get treated differently, in my mind I’m like, ‘I don’t look like I should be here’
KELSEY
What does the term “personal style” mean to you? I guess in a lot of ways it’s what you feel comfortable wearing, and I think some people think of it as a way of describing to or showing the world exactly who they are. But for some people who are not even purposefully doing that, I feel like it still happens subconsciously or indirectly. It is one of those first impression kind of things. I think personal style is, in a lot of ways, what you’re saying about yourself to other people. Have you ever felt like you’ve been perceived or treated differently based on how you were dressed? Yeah, mostly I’d say in middle school and high school. Now that I’ve grown up and gone out into the world, I think I notice it less. I don’t know if that means it doesn’t happen necessarily, but I think I notice it less. It was a lot more direct when we were younger and people sucked. How do you let the idea that people may think of you differently based on how you dress dictate what you wear? I try really hard not to let that affect how I dress. I wear what I like and what I find comfortable. You know, you can notice that a lot of people in the same friend group wear very similar types of clothing, but I don’t really think that’s very true for me anymore.
MATT
What does the term “personal style” mean to you? For me, personal style is a way for you to express who you are to other people and to do that in a non-verbal way. Have you ever felt that the way you dress has affected the way people treat you or perceive you? Yeah, definitely. Because it’s a cue, right, for people to understand some things about you, which can be positive or negative or neutral. For me, it’s never been anything too negative, but if I’m wearing something I’m not necessarily comfortable with, then I think people can feed off that energy even though I haven’t said anything. Do you ever feel like you dress yourself in a certain way depending on what kind of environment you’re in? Yeah, for sure. I mean for, like, a pride parade I’m definitely going to dress differently than I would going to work. In social settings, I dress myself depending on who I’m anticipating to meet. If I’m going to be with a lot of close friends or if I’m going to be with mostly strangers, it’ll definitely change. My more authentic self and my more authentic dress is when I’m with my close friends.
JOSIE
What does the term “personal style” mean to you? To me, personal style means finding what works for you and what makes you feel comfortable. It doesn’t matter how “fashionable” an outfit is, if you don’t feel confident in it it’s not going to work for you. Have you ever felt like you’ve been perceived or treated differently based on how you were dressed? I feel like people treat me differently based on how I’m dressed and how I present myself, especially store workers. If I’m dressed nicer they will treat me better, but if I’m not they might write me off as a customer that they shouldn’t spend their time on. I also think that when I’m wearing a more revealing outfit, men take that as a signal that it’s okay to talk to me or touch me when I really just wear what I wear because I like it, not to draw attention from men. I really have to feel happy in what I’m wearing to really feel good or have fun.
BEN
What does the term “personal style” mean to you? I guess at some level it’s kind of how you signal to the world who you are. It’s all about signaling: what you’re into, the people you hang out with, what kind of music you like, things like that. Have you ever felt like you’ve been treated differently because of how you were dressed? How do you let this concept affect how you dress? I would say no, probably not. I guess to an extent I dress as designer-y as possible if I’m hanging out with my design friends, but I’m definitely going to tone it down it if I’m going to go hang out with some friends with high school who might think I’m a pretentious asshole. Do you feel like you’ve been guilty of judging someone off of the way they dress? Yeah, I’m sure I have. I think that’s something everyone’s probably guilty of to some extent.
How we dress says a lot about us. It’s a mini autobiography that we share with every person we pass on the street. There’s no shame in assuming something about someone because of the way they dress; it’s just human nature. What we have to keep in mind is that people are censoring what we see of them. Their dress isn’t a tell-all, and there are infinte layers of a person that go beyond what we see passing them on the street. While what we wear says so much about us, it really says nothing at all.