Choosing fashion as a career means constantly monitoring opinions. Critics, professors, chronically online TikTok influencers — everyone has something to say. While being decisive and opinionated is often a great thing, and a quality employers might seek, when do we decide that it’s time to let people live?
The new year generally comes with a lot of reinventions, or more so the intent of reinvention. It is a time for society to decide what it’s leaving behind and what it’s picking up. Fashion is definitely not immune to this, as everyone shares their In’s and Out’s for the new year. This makes for a great time to reflect on your personal style and how it’s evolving, but the problem comes in when people take these lists as a rulebook and not as an opinion.
I understand that fashion would be nothing without exclusivity, individualism, and elitism, but often I find this crippling. The way these opinions are delivered so matter-of-factly, it is impossible not to feel judged by the looming, invisible presence that is criticism on the Internet. This pressure inevitably affects the way people develop personal style, especially those involved in the industry.
Learning the difference between fashion, style, and taste was the key to liberation for me. Let me explain. Fashion has been going on forever- it is simply what’s popular at the time. Money can buy fashion if you can afford what’s trendy, but style and taste are not that simple. Taste comes naturally for most if you pay attention to what you’re drawn to- fabrics, colors, silhouettes, ect. Style is how you put them all together, which can be influenced by your lifestyle.
My personal style improved immensely once I stopped caring about others’ opinions, because I realized that even if I do have similar taste to someone else, the way we interpret that through our own style is often completely different. This is why I can’t judge people for wearing skinny jeans, even if I hate them. Sometimes they’re styled well (rare)!
This might be basic information for some, of course, but I find it so easy to get caught in the rip current of the fashion community. What’s new? What’s next? What’s fresh? This is your reminder to slow down and focus on creativity. Wear what satisfies your taste, comfort, and most importantly your lifestyle.
Words by Beth Rodriguez.
Graphic by Ieshita Neve.