Who, what and why are you wearing? (The Oscars give me existential indigestion…)
During the Oscars, my friend @chriswhitley Tweeted:
I’m wearing a black polo shirt and faded Old Navy jeans. My tennis shoes are from Reebok. Thanks for asking, Seacrest.
Charmed by the irony, I sent back:
LOL indeed. I am wearing ugg knockoffs banana republic skirt (circa 2003) a gap shirt that should be donated and leggings!
Unfortunately, I did not have the room to include the information that my leggings are “by” American Apparel, oh, and I had a scarf/pashmina thing I got off eBay years ago for about $5, but I think the point was made: Being fashionable is entirely too wrapped up in name brands, designers and price tags. But hang on — this isn’t about the economy, ok? So don’t get up-tight, just hear me out.
Yesterday, I had a couple little errands to run, so I went out in the outfit described above, and I couldn’t help noticing all the Uggs walking around, and I felt weird about it. It was like being in high school again. One little girl I walked past, who was probably about 13, was wearing Victoria’s Secret pajama pants with Ugg slippers and a sloppy side pony tail. I was confused. Apparently her “I just rolled out of bed” look was supposed to be cancelled out by the price her mother paid for those pajamas and slippers. But here’s the thing: I don’t care if they cost $100, pajamas and slippers are not what you wear to the mall.
Nonetheless, I, who was wearing a resonable if not particularly trendy outfit, felt self-conscious about my Bearpaw boots. Why? Because they didn’t have the label. They’re still real sheepskin. They’re comfortable as all get out, and they are suitably ugly for Ugg culutre, but they’re not Uggs, and I could feel the eyes of every 13-year-old, pajama-clad girl in the mall burning holes in my back every time I turned around.
Am I projecting here? Is this just my own teenaged self coming back to haunt me? There was a time when I considered myself impeccably dressed. I wasn’t into brand names, and I never spent very much money on clothes, but I knew how to put stuff together. I had a definite style of my own, and I could recognize another person with genuine style a mile away. And people who wore just whatever, people whose outfits didn’t have a clear aesthetic, or people whose style was just an immitation of someone else’s style really ticked me off. I mean, I would feel actual anger toward them because they looked like a bad version of a J.C. Penny catalog, which was already a bad version of people who were only barely acceptably dressed. Saying I was judgemental about fashion would be a giant understatement.
So, what happened to me? Well, there was college and a whole litany of things that gradually loosened my grip on style. It had to do with a small identity crisis and a lack of money kindof coming at the same time, and you’d be surprised the long-term damage that combination can do. Gradually, I’ve been rebuilding my sense of style, and I’ve learned it’s more about finding things you love than following the fashion industry. Following the industry is fun. It’s a hobby. It can give you ideas and inspirations, but for the love of god, I really don’t want to look like a runway model. They are walking works of art, not to be touched.
And yet …
How is it that I’m sitting here wondering “What happened to me?” just because I’m wearing $50 boots rather than the more popular $200 ones? I have a feeling this conversation is going to have to continue for some time, but I’m intrigued by the idea (or is it a fact?) that our self-worth, our self-image, and our social status are very much wrapped up in our clothing, and our clothing is wrapped up in Christian Siriano and judgemental 13-year-old girls.
What do you think? Is your personality reflected in your clothing? Does being badly dressed make a person seem less likable or intelligent? What about being well dressed? Be honest: When you see someone wearing a terrible outfit, what kind of assumptions do you make about them?
Tags: fashion
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2 Responses to “Who, what and why are you wearing? (The Oscars give me existential indigestion…)”.
I probably make ALL the same assumptions everyone else does.
Yes, we know that our perception of the person isn’t right. We even tell ourselves that it’s wrong to do it. But we still do.
Let’s see.
Well dressed label whore = gold digger OR over achiever OR intelligent OR someone with class and taste.
The selection of the one of the above also applies after you speak to the person.
The OPPOSITE of this.
Poorly dressed = broke ass OR doesn’t care OR doesn’t realize their appearance OR has no taste OR is a simpleton.
Again, the selection of one of the aforementioned is also chosen after a conversation with the person.
I do have to make a comment though that I found interesting recently. I went to a networking happy hour for marketers and advertisers not to long ago. I hung out by the bar smoking a cigarette. I was wearing a pair of khakis a shirt tucked out with my sleeves rolled up and a pair of hip adidas sneakers. I had a woman walk up to me and start talking to me about her job and what not. I stopped her mid sentence and asked her, “There are people here in suits, well dressed, nice shoes and here you are talking business to me. The guy standing by the wine bar smoking a cigarette. Why?” She responded,”I work for SIMON malls and I have learned that the worst dressed people at these events are the people that are succesful enough to not give a crap about their appearance.”
Hmm. Definitely a perspective that brings you back to earth. I think she had a point.
I went to the Annapolis mall last Saturday wearing my Ugg boots (granted, they are about two years old now and worn in), and I still felt the glare of all the tweens and high school girls I walked past. I think their faces are permanently frozen into mean mugs or something–maybe it’s in the water? I really wanted to tell them that I hope they go into high salary careers, because mommy and daddy won’t foot the bill forever (hopefully).
I also noticed a lot of them wearing moccasins (not the fur-lined Ugg slippers), which I found funny because I’ve been wearing those for years now–they’re so comfy!
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