When I tell people I write for my campus' fashion magazine, I often receive a look of surprise, followed by a survey of the outfit I'd be wearing at that given moment.
And hey, I completely understand. While it's clear that I do have some sense of what I'm wearing (many have determined them as an "earthy grunge" aesthetic), my outfits don't derive from the stylized high fashion palette many would expect to write for a publication dedicated to the art of couture. Sure, I take pride in never having once worn a pair of baggy gray sweatpants at school or even at home, but I know I'm no fashionista. There's a difference between having fashion sense and style, and I'm not of the latter.
But that's okay, because I've come to realize that it's not always who you are that lands you opportunities, but how you are that gets you places.
I'm not your typical fashionista, but I adore clothing. I love the colors. I revel at the textures. I admire how a certain piece can go beyond just conveying one's fashion sense to making a bold statement about who the wearer is as a person.
It doesn't take a fashion expert to appreciate the art of clothing, and to have a passion for the act of wearing it. Certainly, wearing the latest trends, or having background knowledge in the topic at hand can be helpful in landing opportunities by conveying professionalism, seriousness, and some sense of expertise. But it's also the manner in which you convey your genuine interest, coupled with your earnesty in further exploring the subject, that causes others to desire working with you. For me, my interest in this realm translates into my writing.
I regard clothing as an extension of who a person is. To work within the fashion world involves more than just materialism and a sharp visual eye—it extends to how pieces function in enhancing aspects of a person's character, without them having to directly say much about themselves at all.
My position as a fashion magazine writer perhaps in many ways more so "speaks" for itself than my outfits, and I'm okay with that. I just hope that everyone else will one day be, too.
