Walking on campus, I'm surprised by how many of the same outfits I see- Patagonia pullovers, Lululemon leggings, and of course, the ultimate college girl staple: the white converse artfully stained with just a bit of jungle juice from the night before.
Even more so, I'm shocked at the hefty price tag associated with these items: over $230.00 for just three items. I'm not going to pretend like I don't have my costly vices, (Starbucks, Teavana, I'm looking at you), however I could not fathom dropping almost $100 on a pair of leggings.
However, since I don't follow the the typical college girl fashion, I usually feel that I lack a specific style to fit into. I don't always dress nice, and I don't always dress like I just rolled out of bed: I don't have a defined style. As I'm writing this, I'm wearing a long sleeve t-shirt, American Eagle skinny jeans, and Converse (light blue instead of white.) This is what some of my more fashion forward friends call 'slumming it.' Maybe it's not the cutest, but I'd rather have money in my checking account than own a pair of Lululemon leggings. The most expensive article of clothing I wear on a regular basis (other than jeans) are my Adidas soccer pants, which are half the cost of the leggings I'm so accustomed to seeing.
When I first came to college, I mentioned this to a friend, and their response was one of surprise, "You didn't have people wear Patagonia at your high school?"
Maybe it was just my highschool (or maybe I just missed it), but I honestly did not see many of the brands I see on campus in my high school: Patagonia, Vineyard Vines, Lululemon, Southern Comfort, and many others that seem to be not only a higher price, but higher fashion. My high school wasn't necessarily in a poor part of the state, nor were we a small school. And yet, I didn't see any of it. I felt like however I dressed was alright. But at Mizzou, I feel like my style requires a serious upgrade.
Last year, I jokingly tweeted, "Drinking game: take a shot every time you see someone in a Patagonia pullover on campus," knowing full well that if you actually tried to do that, you'd die. (It only got 3 likes, but that's probably because I'm the only one who thinks I'm funny.) They look nice, I get it, but I'd much rather rock my $20 Mizzou sweatshirt, and be seen as someone lacking style. It's just not who I am, to wear expensive clothing unless I'm dressing up for an important event. Even though that seems like something that should be fairly normal, I'm finding that it makes me look kind of plain on campus, and am curious if others think I look plain.
I realized that I, too, was generalizing people based on their clothing. If I saw a girl wearing the aforementioned outfit I see on campus, I'd automatically assume that her parents were rich and she was in a sorority. In fact, I'd probably be surprised if she wasn't those things. Some may use style to express themselves, but your clothing does not automatically define who you are.
Although I might look plain, I promise: I am more than my wardrobe. We make too many snap judgement decisions based on a person's attire rather than their personality. A girl in my chem class wears a fanny pack every day, which may deter some people from talking to her, when in reality, she's extremely nice. One of my friends has multiple piercings and dresses in all dark clothing, which may make some people think she's a dark person, but I have a darker sense of humor than she does.
People are more than their wardobe, and we need to start being able to look past what people are wearing and respect them for who they are.
