novibe
contents 4.
matt brevner
8.
digital cinema
6.
better videos
10.
pow-wow
12.
14.
vancouver street soccer
psychology of colour
16.
defensive dressing
2  uncanned magazine
August, 2016
Uncanned Magazine is produced by the Editorial and Publication class – 3rd term Graphic Design at LaSalle College Vancouver. See more magazines online: http://issuu.com/macromagazine INSTRUCTOR: Daryl Askey STUDENTS: Shaima Almutairi, Marissa Anderson, Gianluca Cescon, Junggi Chae, Jennifer Kunzer, Vakai Muregi, José Noriega, Char Perry, Agnes Van Gijzen, Michael Vorontsov.
issue #2
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introducing
matt
brevner
Brevner is making a lot of noise on the West
Coast. The Vancouver rapper formerly known as Matt Brevner is ushering in 2016 with a name change, a new EP, and a take-no-prisoners attitude. t It’s a new era for Brevner, and one in which he has no interest in staying quiet. He recently sparred with Bob Ezrin online after the producer’s comments on Kanye West ignited the Internet, and he aired out his troubled history with Swollen Members and Battle Axe Warriors co-founder Madchild on one of the most savage diss tracks to come out of the beef that shook Western Canadian hip-hop last year. With a new name and a new self-titled EP—boasting 4 uncanned magazine
features from the likes of Project Pat, King Louie, Rome Fortune, and the Peach Panther himself, RiFF RAFF—
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Brevner is ready to let the past be the past, and focus on the future.
}
We caught up with Brevner and chatted about his new EP, Vancouver hip-hop, his relationship with Chinx Drugz, and his beef with Madchild.
You’re half Trini and half Japanese. How do your roots influence what you do? I’m very close with my family and I am definitely a product of my environment. So, it contributes to everything, from my visuals, to work ethic, and the relationships I have with the people close to me. Your new EP is your first effort as the newly minted Brevner. Why lose the “Matt”? Does the name change signal a more significant change for you as an artist? Growing up, my friends always called me “Brevner” or “Brev.” Creatively I felt the need for a fresh start, and although the name change isn’t drastic, it represents the beginning of a new chapter in my life and my story. Everything has come full circle in the past couple years, and now more than ever, I’m happy with who I am and where I’m from. To my understanding, there are currently less than 50 Brevners in the world. It’s a pretty unique last name, and I’m proud to bear it.
There are some people making real noise out here, man. And there are some solid kids that are about to start. As long as I’ve been doing this shit I’ve never been so excited or proud of my city and our scene. I mean, there are so many cats making great music and power moves right now. Snak of course, Merk, Caspo, Tommy Genesis, Vials, D-Kay, Stevie Ross, Tom Macdonald, Kai Skywalker (RIP), Lazeevil, NWD, Neph, Ghost, So-Loki, Dave Fields, Seth Kay, Golden, Immerze, Spotty, Gerry Scope, Emotionz, Heatwave, Creed Taylor….so much talent.
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What I can tell you about the hiphop scene in the V is that it’s extremely eclectic. We’re coming to take what’s ours, and we’re not expecting any handouts.
}
What’s happening in Vancouver hip-hop right now, beyond Brevner? SonReal is in the mix, Evil Ebenezer, LNDN DRGS, Tre Nyce...what can you tell us about the scene right now?
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how to
make better videos So now you’ve shot your movie. You have all your footage on a hard drive. You’re ready to actually turn all your hard work into something. What do you do next?
Tip 1 – Organization Organize your footage.
Just like pre-producing makes your shoot smoother, organizing all of your footage will make your life as a video editor a lot easier. Set up folders for each of the following: • Audio • Video • Still Images • Exports Within these folders you can
organize a level deeper. In the Audio folder make folders for music, voice over, interview, etc. depending on what you have. Within the Video fold6 uncanned magazine
er you can organize your footage into the days you shot it or the different scenes. If you have any still images you can organize them by subject or by date shot. The way you organize is up to you.
so you know where everything is. When you import all of your assets (video, audio, photos, etc.) into your video editing program, keep it organized in the same manner that your documents are saved on your com-
{
The key is to organize everything,
}
puter. This way you’ll know exactly where your items are on your hard drive. Once you start exporting
versions of the video, make sure you add a version number so you know what your latest version was. For example, I use the format projecttitle_ version# (baseballdocumentary_v1). When I export an updated version, I just change the version number. This way I can easily find the latest cut.
Tip 2 – Quick Tips
It is hard to give one tip to make you a better video editor. And rather than try to teach you everything there is to know about video editing, I’m going to assume that you have a grasp on editing videos. If you don’t, check out my Video Editing 101 course by clicking here. It is a great course for anyone new to video editing. Transitions with a purpose. Different transitions should be used for different purposes. Don’t always fade in and fade out of everything. Don’t use that crazy 3d spin transition or
whatever latest gimmicky transition is included in your editing program. Subtlety is the key. Editing should be invisible. An editor’s job is to seamlessly put together a video that is enjoyable to watch. If your viewer is thinking about the editing, it probably means something was jarring. So keep in mind the goal of trying to be invisible. Use audio fades. Audio fades can decrease those sound jumps and jarring audio cuts that tend to happen. Just add a 5-10 frame audio fade to smooth this out. Use titles but don’t go overboard. Adding titles to the front and back of your videos can add a higher production value to your videos. Keep them short though, especially for web videos. People don’t want to sit through 30 seconds of titles to get to the video. Seriously, 5 seconds is long enough. Or just use end titles and get straight into the content of your videos. Add lower third titles to your subjects. These titles, shown at the bottom part of the screen when someone is talking, give more information about that person and qualify them as someone the viewer should be listening to. Pick the right music. Using the latest hit might make your video seem cool, but it probably isn’t the right choice. Music without lyrics is the best because if your song has a singer, their voice will compete with the video audio. Make sure the audio level of your music isn’t too loud. It’s hard to watch videos if you can’t hear the people talking over Justin Beiber’s latest hit. Think about why you are using this shot. Each shot you put on your timeline should have a purpose. Make sure that whatever is being talked about is shown on the screen with broll footage. If what is being heard doesn’t match what is being seen, fix it. Only use the best shots.
Tip 3 – Get Critiques
Have your friends watch and critique your video. You may think your video is done and perfect but sometimes we get so closely attached to our projects that we miss small things that should be changed. Having a friend or colleague watch your video and give you notes is a great way to improve your final product. Be open to any criticism they may have. I know this is hard. I’m a stubborn person in general and having to listen to someone else critique my projects is sometimes very hard. But I know
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REMEMBER THAT IT IS YOUR JOB AS AN editor to fix anything that went wrong while shooting.
}
it is always for the best. You don’t have to take everyone’s notes and make changes. But having them is better than not. If you think about it, this is how all businesses are run. Ice cream makers don’t just send out new flavors without testing them and having many other people test them. This goes for major films too. After any Hollywood film is finished, they usually do screenings for private audiences to give feedback. This is crucial for production companies who want to make a great film for their target audience. Sometimes entire scenes can be cut out or endings can be changed because of these screenings. Awesome! I hope you enjoyed these quick video edit-
ing tips. I’m sure you’re a better video editor because of them. Check back next week for the last tip in this series about how to better market your video and get more views!
Be patient. Editing takes a while and sometimes you have to go through 4, 5, 6+ versions (a.k.a. cuts) of your video before you have a great piece worth sharing. Whether it is camerawork, lighting, or audio, there are bound to be problems that you will need to fix. So be patient and do the best you can. With practice, you’ll be able to fix most problems. uncanned magazine 7
welcome to
digital cinema What is Digital Cinema?
A
visible sign of this shift is the new role which computer generated special effects has come to play in Hollywood industry in the last few years. Many recent blockbusters have been driven by visual effects, feeding on their popularity. Hollywood has even created a new-mini genre of “The Making of…” videos and books, which reveal how visual effects are created. Until recently, Hollywood studios were the only ones who had the money to pay for digital tools and for the labour involved in producing digital effects. However, the shift to digital media affects not just Hollywood, but filmmaking as a whole. As traditional film technology is universally being replaced by digital technology, the logic of the filmmaking process is being redefined. What I describe below are the new principles of digital filmmaking, which are equally valid for individual or collective
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film productions, regardless of whether they are using the most expensive professional hardware and software or its amateur equivalents.
The first rotating camera for taking panning
shots was built in 1898. The first film studios were built in 1897. Special effects were introduced and film continuity, involving action moving from one sequence into another, began to be used. In the 1900s, continuity of action across successive shots was achieved and the first close-up shot was introduced. Most films of this period were what came to be called “chase films”. The first use of animation in movies was in 1899. The first feature length multi-reel film was a 1906 Australian production. The first successful permanent theatre showing only films was “The Nickelodeon” in Pittsburgh in 1905. By 1910, actors began to receive screen credit for their roles, and the way to the creation of film stars was opened. Regular newsreels were exhibited from 1910 and soon became a popular way for finding out the news. New film techniques were introduced in
this period including the use of artificial lighting, fire effects and low-key lighting (i.e. lighting in which most of the frame is dark) for enhanced atmosphere during sinister scenes. As films grew longer, specialist writers were employed to simplify more complex stories derived from novels or plays into a form that could be
contained on one reel and be easier to be understood by the audience – an audience that was new to this form of storytelling. Genres began to be used as categories; the main division was into comedy and drama, but these categories were further subdivided. During the First World War there was a complex transition for the film industry. The exhibition of films changed from short one-reel programs to feature films. Exhibition venues became larger and began charging higher prices. By 1914, continuity cinema was the established mode of commercial cinema.
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One of the advanced continuity techniques involved an accurate and smooth transition from one shot to another.
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pow wow A complete guide to
festival
T
he term powwow is the white man’s version of the Indian word “pau-wau” which originally stood for a healing ceremony conducted by the spiritual or religious leaders of various tribes. When the white man started settling around Native American lands, they witnessed these powwows. Soon, the “powwow” term referred to any type of Indian gathering, regarding of its purpose.
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How the pow wow got its exact start is not known, but it was thought to have originated with the Pawnee tribe as a religious ceremonial meeting, filled with dancing and other rituals. Other Indian tribes adopted the practice of the powwow and added their own traditions. Indians held these ceremonies to celebrate a successful hunt and to thanks the spirits for a bountiful harvest. Powwows also spiritually prepared a warrior for an impending battle. Native Americans were big believers
in all things living and spiritual and viewed life and death as an inevitable circle. Some of the powwow ceremonies they conducted celebrated this circle with tribal drums, dancing, food, chanting and traditional healing rituals. They acted out ancient stories handed through the generations, which kept their history alive. Today, the powwow tradition is still alive. Usually centered on the
changing seasons, you can find powwow ceremonies located near areas with a large concentration of Native American tribes. In addition, there are some powwows
that travel around the country providing educational lessons of the Native American culture. More of a festival-type of feel today, the powwow has the traditional dances as well as various religious ceremonies re-enacted for the general public. In addition, you can find Native American arts and crafts as well as food items and other wares for sale. In the old days, the powwow was tribal specific and no women were allowed to actively participate. However, because the number of Native
Americans has dwindled, different tribes often collaborate together to put on a powwow to share in each other’s heritage not only amongst themselves but also the general public as well. In addition, Indian women are now an accepted part of the powwow tradition.
Shane Gottfriedson uncanned magazine  11
Psychology of
colour H
umans ability to distinguish colours has evolutionarily been linked with mental and physical
effects. As a result, colour associations are known to influence a person’s mental and physical state. Many advertising and marketing companies are well-known for utilizing colour psychology to entice and evoke emotion from their audiences.
The colour red has the longest wavelength and the
property of appearing to be nearer than it is and therefore grabs our attention. The principle adjective of RED is power, primally it is the colour of blood and evolutionarily it is the first colour that infants are able to distinguish. Blue is a more soothing colour than red. It affects us
mentally while red is more physically reactive. Soft blues calm the mind and aid concentration. As a result, BLUE is regarded as serene and calming. Research shows that blue is the world’s favorite colour, which is not suprising as it is the color associated with water; a fundamental element of life. The colour YELLOW has a relatively long wave length
and therefore essentially stimulating. Some studies suggest that YELLOW is the strongest colour psychologically. The right yellows can lift our spirits and our self-esteem. 12 uncanned magazine
When GREEN light rays strike the cones in our eyes, very little adjustments are required for our
receptors to translate the information as the color green and is therefore perceived as restful. Being at the center of the spectrum as well, green is the colour of balance. This is probably a key reason why we use “green screens” when superimposing images and movies. Apart from advertising and marketing strategies, colour theory is also a key component for
renowned psychiatrist Carl Jung. Carl encour-aged his patients to use color because he felt that it would help them express some of the deeper parts of their psyche. It is believed that the color choices you make reflect a deeper meaning about your personality traits. For example, introverts and extroverts are likely to choose different colors – blue and red respectively.
T
what is
he term “Surrealism” indicates a specific thought and movement in literature as well as arts and theatre. It tries to integrate the confused realms of imagination and reality in literature and arts. The proponents of surrealism endeavor to mix up the differences of conscious and unconscious mind through writing and painting by using irrational juxtaposition of images. Initiated by André Breton (18961966), surrealism is a kind of artistic movement started in the French capital, Paris, during 1920s. This movement lasted until 1940s.
surrealist poetry Breton, a famous writer as well as philosopher, boosted this movement further by publishing its manifesto, as “The Manifesto of Surrealism.” Although it gave new dimensions to art, it was not a political manifesto. The manifesto states that horrified by the destruction of the world wars and subsequent confusion, art and literature faced numerous political challenges in resolving those confusions, the reaction of which emerged in the shape of surrealism. This movement rather aimed at preventing bloody revolutions by breaking the limitations placed on arts and literature by the politics of that time. This is one of the best examples of surrealist poetry by Andre Breton.
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My wife with the hair of a wood fire With the thoughts of heat lightning With the waist of an hourglass With the waist of an otter in the teeth of a tiger My wife with the lips of a cockade and of a bunch of stars of the last magnitude With the teeth of tracks of white mice on the white earth With the tongue of rubbed amber and glass My wife with the tongue of a stabbed host. (Lines, 1-8)
}
These lines above have been taken from his poem “Freedom of Love” See the irrationality in images about wife and wood fire, hourglass and teeth of a tiger. None of these images have any relation. They have been just irrationally put together to demonstrate the mind of the poet and situation of the reality in which he is living.
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vancouver street soccer league Michael Cash and Shawn Forde on April 14, the
VSSL played a 24-hour game of street soccer in protest at the possible closure of Vancouver’s New Fountain Shelter. (The shelter remains open to this day.) Two months later, they travelled fourteen-hours to Alert Bay, to participate in their first June Sports soccer tournament, hosted by the ‘Namgis First Nation. Come the summer, it was time to start gearing up for
the Homeless World Cup again. On May 20, the Rickshaw Theatre hosted Rocker for Street Soccer Part Deux: The Party for Paris. Following this and various other events, the funds were raised, and once more the VSSL were going to the World Cup. This time, Team Canada were to take both a men’s team and a women’s team. The VSSL contributed three to the former – Virgil Goosehead, Evans Ceus, and Hector Valle – and five to the latter: Erin Backer, Debbie Krull, Solange Bongerize, Paula Armstrong, and Tiah Seward. Dominique Falls acted as Head Coach for the women’s team, with Kailin See and Sarah Blyth acting as Assistant Coaches. Alan Bates and Chris Hellewell acted as assistant coaches for the men’s team. Before the League’s players got on the plane, Vancouver’s Major League Soccer side, the Vancouver Whitecaps, 14 uncanned magazine
joined the players for a send-off. VSSL’s Team Canada contingent departed less than a week later, for what might just have been their biggest adventure to date. An excellent personal account of the trip, written by VSSL old-hand and team goalkeeper Debbie Krull. During the latter part of 2011, Maryvon Delanoe – who travelled to Paris as a volunteer – initiated the meal program for healthy food after practices. Meanwhile, Alan Bates, Fidel Vila-Rodriguez, Alasdair Barr, Lurdes Tse, Arun Agha, and Heidi Boyda began academic research into the benefits of the VSSL for players, volunteers, and healthcare trainees. In December, Portland FC and Phoenix FC participated in the NSGSC Indoor Co-Ed Tournament. In January of 2012, a team who have since become
one of the mainstays of the League came onboard: Covenant House. (Thanks to his tireless effort and wonderful attitude, the team’s head coach, Steve McMinn, has since risen to the position of League President.) Around the same time, Team Canada striker Virgil Goosehead founded
Station Street FC. Virgil’s team made an immediate impact, winning a BC-wide tournament in Kelowna. During the summer of 2012, the League continued to go from strength to strength. In July, League President Alan Bates was awarded the Vancouver Whitecaps Major League Soccer W.O.R.K.S. Community MVP Award and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, in recognition of what VSSL players and volunteers had accomplished over the first three years of the league. Around the same time, Christina Harzan was hired as the VSSL’s Director (and first employee), and obtained official society status for League. Sarah Blyth, meanwhile, was awarded the In Her Footsteps Award by the BC Sports Hall of Fame for promoting women’s participation in sport. And in June, ex-Canada national team player and current UBC med student Sari Raber created the monthly UBC Medicine Vs. Vancouver Street Soccer series; a battle which continues to rage to this day. In the summer – this time in slightly more of a backseat role – the VSSL contributed four players to Team Canada for the 2012 Homeless World Cup in Mexico City. Fabian Ulloa, Rahul Kumar, Natasha Fox and Krista Nickason left Vancouver on October 4, and once more did the league proud. During the second half of 2012, the exciting developments continued. In what was a natural evolution of their longstanding relationship with the League, the Vancouver Southsiders – the Whitecaps official supporters group, and the largest supporters group in Canada – became official supporters of the VSSL. Social Conscience Fair Trade Sports Balls became the official soccer ball sponsor of the VSSL, and NDG Financial contributed funds for equipment and uniforms. In November, two experienced soccer players, Ryan Semião and Matt Owen, joined the league as coaches. A month later, Portland FC and Phoenix FC participated once again in the NSGSC Indoor Co-Ed Tournament.
VSSL by becoming the official uniform sponsor. During the early part of the year, thanks to the initiative of their new head coach, Andrea Neil, the UBC Women’s Varsity team became an official supporter of the VSSL. A number of the Thunderbirds joined VSSL players in a North Van tournament in mid-April. That same month, the League received a generous grant from ViaSport, allowing us to replenish our equipment, and send a number of players and volunteers on refereeing and coaching courses. Come June, thanks in part to a donation from NHL veteran Willy Mitchell, it was time for the League’s second trip to Alert Bay. A team of twenty-eight players and coaches made the trip this time, camping for four days. The trip was wonderfully captured, on film, by official VSSL cameraman, Colin Askey: Two weeks after their return, the League’s play-
ers headed off to Lewis Park, Courtenay, for the Western Canadian selection tournament for the Homeless World Cup, 2013. Later in the summer, it was confirmed that two players from the Covenant House team – Dennis and Taran – would be participating in the tournament in Poznan, Poland. Following a month’s hard training, a final match-up against the UBC Med team, and a send-off meal at the Spaghetti Factory in Vancouver’s Gastown, the players hit the road. Once again, for the fourth year running, VSSL would be flying the flag at the Homeless World Cup. During the second week of August, while Dennis and Taran were busy representing the League in Poland, a team of VSSL players and volunteers competed in the annual Beach Soccer Blast at Spanish Banks beach. (The team finished one spot shy of qualifying for the knockout stages of the tournament.) For the Vancouver Street Soccer League, then, the adventures continue. To keep up to speed with our most recent developments, check out our blog roll, and the posts visible on our home page.
In early 2013, following Alan Bates’ departure for a
fellowship at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, Covenant House Head Coach Steve McMinn became President of the VSSL, and a Board was elected to lead the new official society. At the very same meeting, Fairware expanded their longtime support of the
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defensive dressing. What colour is your chainmail? I first started using clothes as armour in the sixth grade. I
never used the word “bullying” to describe my late elementary school (and early high school, if we’re being honest) experience, but in retrospect I was definitely not the most well-liked kid in my grade. I was easily 4 inches taller than any of the boys in my classes, with chemically-tortured curls and early-onset acne. My few friends were
{
other outcast kids, banded together out of a mutual love of weird fantasy novels and other things that aren’t sports. We were constantly called weirdos outright, when we weren’t being ignored, or whispered about, or targeted by the strange, passive-aggressive attacks that only preteen girls can level at each other. Obviously, this didn’t suddenly start in grade 6. But that was when I decided to do something about it.
Have you ever started crying, only to be told by a pissed-off authority figure that they would give you something to cry about?
}
That sentiment formed the basis of my personal style as a tween. You think I’m weird because of my lack of social skills and overly intense interests? I can’t do anything about that. All I can do is outfit myself in all the patterns in mine and my mother’s closet combined, and give you something to point and laugh about.
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I started a collection of brightly coloured capri leg-
gings and black emo-kid arm warmers. I started wearing my hair in four ponytails, like the other black girls in my first-grade class used to do. My t-shirt slogans were non-sequiturs. My sneakers, reflective. My chainmail, equipped. This is not a new concept by any stretch. If you were an avid watcher of TLC’s What Not to Wear (if Stacy London is reading this and is looking for a multiethnic teenager/ young adult to adopt, she can phone me), you saw women decked out in goth attire and the shortest bandage dresses this side of the burn ward break down in tears as their armour was filed off by stylists-turned-therapists. The issue was not the clothing in itself. The issue was the thought process behind it, echoing the one I repeated in my head as I tried to figure out how to wear a tasselled headband over top of a newsboy hat. Fine. Go ahead. Stare at this. I own that stare. I still have the urge, when invited to a party, to affix all of my most visually offensive clothing items to my torso. It’s actually worse now, because my mom can no longer stop me from wearing makeup. I can put on my brown suede culottes and every flannel shirt I own and a t-shirt I stole from my dad with a picture of an astronaut on it, and top the whole thing off with purple lipstick without being grounded. This thought process has been around since before I was born, and will probably continue afterwards. All it does is mutate. Today, a celebrated method of dressing is
normcore, or minimalist fashion, or whatever you want to call it. It’s got a limited colour palette, a pared-down aesthetic, and involves a lot of white sneakers. I’m honestly a fan of it. It’s really easy to match a bunch of black, ascetic clothing together when its 5:30 in the morning and you have the dexterity of two dying salmon taped together. But despite it’s near-total contrast to the methods described earlier, it may have also risen up out from a defensive place. Think about it. Now, with the ubiquity of social media,
everyone can beam their opinion directly into your
eye-holes. Your #ootd selfie can be seen and judged by anyone, and the anonymity of the screen gives people the guts to dish out some brutal honesty. So let’s say you’re a young, aspiring fashion blogger, and you’ve put together an outfit that’s a little bit quirky. Maybe you’re mixing some risky patterns. Maybe your jeans are not cut the same way as the jeans of your peers. Maybe your hairstyle is painstakingly elaborate. But it’s yours and you love it. Then the negative comments roll in. This af-
fects you in different ways depending on how thick your skin is. In all likelihood, however, you present to the world the fact that you’re letting it roll off you, and secretly let it influence all your outfit decisions from that point on. Maybe you keep wearing the bootcut jeans, but you leave your hair down. Maybe you only wear one pattern where you might have worn three, or in fact you wear no patterns at all. And maybe, eventually, you’re completely outfitted in grey/white/black/ camel. That’s safe. The negativity may still roll
in at this point, though. You’re not entirely home free. But the difference now is that when you get the sixth comment of the day telling you that you look like every other fashion blogger on the internet, your response changes from hurt and outrage to “yeah. That’s what you wanted, right?” These articles usually have some kind of call to ac-
tion in them, so this is that. You’ll notice in both the hypothetical Instagram site-modeling example and my slightly sad pubescent lifestyle, the protagonists were mocked regardless of their wardrobe choices. So really, why not wear whatever the hell you want to? Someone will take issue with you for literally any reason. One time in high school, these girls started a three-year blood feud with me and my friends because a couple of us accidentally wore our shirts backwards for most of gym class. Trying to defend and deflect any criticism that comes your way is a good way to burn yourself out. Don’t interpret this as meaning that one style of dress is purer than another. Just check yourself before you get dressed for defiance or fear, and replace that with something that imbues you with self-confidence. uncanned magazine 17
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