How would you describe your style? What's your aesthetic? What's your go-to outfit? All very good questions, and there's nothing wrong with having a concrete answer to any of them. Many people do. They've found a certain fashion that they really enjoy and they feel represents them, and that's fantastic! More power to you! Own it!
But for some of us, we can't decide on just one style that we enjoy. There are just too many possibilities out there! How can we choose just one?
I was once asked how I would describe my style in three words. It was such a simple question, but I was stumped. I had no idea how to answer that question. Because I don't just have one fashion or clothing style that I enjoy and wear. I have multiple. I turned to my roommate for help, and I think she summed it up pretty nicely: Badass, hipster, sweaters. I laughed. It was such an accurate description. At least one of those three elements usually ends up in all of my ensembles at some point. Whether it comes through in my choice of jewelry, my makeup, or my hats, I have a unique style all my own that can't really be pinned down with one label.
And it's not just that my tastes change. Tastes change for everyone, especially as you go through life (and high school) and are still trying to find something that works for you. Eventually, you may find one or two styles that work for you. You find your fashion. It just doesn't usually involve an entire 180 from what the style was the day before. I could go from looking like your stereotypical librarian one day to looking like I probably stepped out of a Hot Topic the next. And that works for me! It's how I choose to express myself.
Sometimes it's harder for people to express their styles because they feel constrained to a certain style because of any number of topics. Sometimes people feel like they have to stick to a certain style because of their job. Sometimes it's your background, and where you came from. Sometimes it's something as simple as your gender or your sexuality.
This is because stereotypes are so embedded into our culture that it can be hard to break out of those in order to express ourselves to our satisfaction. I know I struggled with this, too. I thought that dressing nicely for an event meant I had to wear a dress and heels. It took me awhile to realize that that wasn't the case. Yes, sometimes I do still wear dresses and heels, because they can make me feel good. But I feel just as good in a vest and tie. Or a combination of the two styles. Or something completely different than both of those.
Because, in the end, it doesn't matter what I wear. All that matters is that I feel good while wearing it. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks about my clothes. It doesn't matter if what you want to wear doesn't conform to the traditional standards of your gender. Wear it anyway. Wear what makes you feel good. Break stereotypes if necessary. They don't matter anyway.
Seriously, go do it. If you're scared someone will judge you for it, acknowledge that they will, and then decide that you don't care. It will take some getting used to, but you will get used to it. I feel like in the age we live in, it is becoming a lot easier for people to break out of stereotypes and express the truest version of themselves. It's becoming easier to be who you really are, to not have to hide yourself because society won't accept you. If you're still scared of expressing yourself, ask yourself why. If the answer is because you don't want people to judge you for not dressing like they think you should, then stop censoring yourself. Embrace who you are. Dress how you want. Wear what makes you feel good. Wear what makes you feel like yourself.
This is why I have multiple styles. Because I have multiple versions of myself. It's all the same person, but I express it in different ways. All of these styles make me feel like the best version of myself, and that's all that matters. Because in the end, you need to do what's best for you. You need to be yourself, however that may look.
(And fuck stereotypes. Why do they even exist in the first place?)
