Lost in the Fabric

“Fashion you can buy, but style you possess. The key to style is learning who you are, which takes years. There’s no how-to road map to style. It’s about self-expression and, above all, attitude”

-Iris Apfel

Written by Emma Campanella

Photography by Monica Wilner

Freshman year of college I strolled into my first class wearing blue glasses and a navy polka dot dress that looked like it was from the 60s. My hair was pinned back to reveal golden hoops that brushed against the sides of my cheeks. I felt elegant in the way my dress flowed with the breeze and how the click of my flats caused eyes to snap up. It was easy to brush off the strange glances that sometimes met my glance. I had been dressing however I felt like for years and was used to this kind of thing. Since when did it become okay for judgment to gloss over the eyes of others and lay steady on their lips for dressing how you feel? Are people’s identities no longer sewn into the fabrics that they wear?

Flipping through the sticky pages of magazines or scrolling on social media feeds is bound to present a uniform image of what you “should” wear without explicitly saying so. Many of the big influencers and models prevalent in the media often portray wearing branded clothing as a style within itself. The abundance of almost identical outfits, neutral colors and accessories forms a social pressure for those following to live up to these expectations of what you should look like. There is a difference between fashion and style that individuals have for themselves. I feel that these are meshing together and the originality that each person has is being lost in the fabric.

I’m not judging what people are wearing. I understand that the mainstream style seen in the media may actually be the style that people identify with. I instead want to focus attention on how insecurity and lack of confidence can drive people to wear what they wear just for the sake of fitting in.

Conformity in psychological terms is social influence that pushes others to change their beliefs and behaviors to fit in with a group. This rises from both physical and imagined social pressures stemming from the social norms that are portrayed in everyday life and the media. People who are more likely to conform are scared of rejection from a group and want to be accepted as “one of them”. It’s a really interesting topic to learn and there have been many studies conducted to back up these concepts. Fashion is one of these social pressures that can cause people to conform. They may be looking for guidance when they are unsure of what is socially acceptable, but may be leaving their own interests out of the clothes they buy.

With constant marketing in the media for branded clothing and the spread of stores like Zara and Urban Outfitters that tailor to mainstream trends, there isn’t much room left for originality. Some people are so obsessed with fitting in that their true identity might not be shown through what they wear. Sure, clothing is only one aspect of self-expression, but it is the most visible one. What you wear makes a statement if you intend for it to or not. With whatever style you possess, there is bound to be judgement by other people. But is their opinion really that important in the long run?

Self-confidence is something that is built over time. It took me years to learn not to care about what others thought of me in terms of how I dressed. Other than what is physical, self-confidence also has to come from within. As a society, it is important that we try not to pass on judgment or reject those being original to themselves. We are all wandering through this place we call Earth, slowly sewing together the pieces of ourselves. It’s rough. It’s awkward. It’s difficult. But none of us would be able to understand everything that happens in our lives unless we experience it for ourselves.

I know that style and what someone wears might seem insignificant to some, but it is a way of self-expression. We should all work towards being more accepting of each other and our appearances. Finding your style can only boost you up and give you that little bit of sass necessary to carry confidence throughout your day. My mother always told me to be myself and never care what other people think, so it’s no surprise that I walked into kindergarten wearing a feather boa and sparkly flats.