Anyone who knows me knows I am a shopaholic. I love all kinds of shopping, whether it's in stores or online, for clothing or accessories. However, the experience changes with one question that has been on my mind. A few times, I have tried on clothes, and someone will ask me, "who are you buying that for?" They assume that I buy nicer clothes to impress another person, usually a significant other. This question causes me to reconsider my shopping experience altogether.

While reflecting, I realized it makes sense that the societal push to dress for others is imprinted into our minds. People dress to impress during various occasions throughout our lives. We dress nicely at weddings and other special occasions to show respect to our hosts. Even on a more day to day basis, for example, we dress in specific uniforms for jobs. However, this is different than our daily fashion choices. When given the freedom to choose, how do we? Hopefully, we use the freedom to dress in whatever way makes us comfortable, instead of following what we think others would like us to choose.

Another related topic to consider is the coming and going of trends. Certain people we deem fashionable set styles from overalls and shoulder pads and other people quickly follow in their footsteps. But are these choices made to fit into society? Or instead, people follow trends because these ideas inspire them to express themselves in new ways. This way, we can show our own unique styles and set new trends of our own.

So, when we get the chance to choose our look, how do we choose? As much as others imply what my choices are for, I don't choose my outfits based on others' views. While it's refreshing to get compliments from others who like your look, the most important part of choosing your clothes is how they make you feel. Pick your clothes based on what makes you comfortable and happy, not what will find you a hot new guy or help you fit in with a group of friends. Whether you pick sweats or dresses, it's not about what others think- it's what makes you happy.