A Choice a Day

People who think extensively about what they wear when they leave their home are sending a message to the people they encounter. But, the people who are not as in depth with their choice in clothing, are also presenting something to the people they come across. Clothing would never seem like something that holds the amount of weight that it actually does.

Whether they wear a suit and tie to class every day or their favorite track suit, people make statements with the clothes they put together constantly. The intention behind the following is not to encourage people to dress differently. The intent is not to shame people for the clothing they wear. Those who believe in comfort coming first are no lesser than those who put their finest outfits together on a daily basis. The following will dive deeper into the unconscious thought process behind picking out an outfit.

There is nothing wrong with having an “off” day. Those who are extremely concerned with their appearance every day, tend to have days in which they lay low in a sense. Someone who may opt for jeans, a sweater, and boots, will sometimes find themselves styling sweats with slippers. The problem behind this is not the outfit change, the problem is the amount of anxiety that person may experience following that choice. There is a great deal of pressure behind maintaining appearances on an everyday basis. If the person were to establish their everyday look as sweatpants and a t-shirt, they would experience far less societal pressure behind maintaining that appearance. So, when someone has established an everyday look consisting of dressier pieces, they would experience higher amounts of societal pressure behind maintaining that appearance.

Wearing sweats is not a downgrade. Sweat pants have a lot of potential that is not often considered. If someone wore a hoodie and sweatpants, there are a few different messages they could be presenting. If the sweats were matching in color, that person is saying something different than if the colors were not matching. A matching set in gray says something different than a matching set in purple or pink. It tells a lot about that person’s personality and their interests or attentiveness.

If the person is wearing a matching gray sweatshirt, there is a lot to be said about the process behind picking that outfit. The person wants to be comfortable that day, but still wants to present a clean image. Because the set is matching, it shows that there was some thought put into the outfit. The set being gray would say that the person maybe wants to have a more low key day. They are not looking to jump out with bright colors or draw any form of attention. If the set was printed in a bright way as opposed to the colored brightly, they are sharing pieces of their personality or maybe even showing an interest of theirs. Sweats are not a downgrade, on the contrary, they can relay just as many messages that a suit and tie would convey. But, it is all about how that person has chosen to wear those sweats.

Every item that a person puts on their body serves as a representation of something about them that they want the rest of the world to know.

Accessories are such small details, but they hold the biggest stories. The story depends on one's decision regarding whether to accessorize and how much. Jewelry sends a variety of messages. How much that person chooses to wear, where they put it, what color it is, etc, says a lot. Wearing a necklace with a religious symbol is the perfect example of someone presenting an important part of them to society. That person is saying they want people to know that they practice or are spiritual. If a person wears rings, they are drawing attention to their hands. Maybe they use their hands a lot, or they just want you to look at their hands. Perhaps simplicity is not satisfying, in which they choose to accessorize. Gold and silver tell different stories. Gold tends to be brighter and stands out a bit more. Gold is telling of someone who wants that piece to be noticed, they lean more towards a brighter side of styling. Silver is stereotypically a bit grungier. That person may just want the piece to be more low key. Both gold and silver serve similar purposes, but they serve those purposes in different fonts.

Everyone is conveying a story with their clothing, regardless of what they wear or how much effort they put into it. Whether that person is truly featuring themselves that day, or they are going for a more minimalistic look, everyone is saying something. Sometimes, as human beings, people tend to look past that importance. They do not often consider the power that an outfit truly holds. Though this is not to make the reader start panicking for an hour a day about their outfit and the message they are presenting, it is something worth considering. The best way to start addressing the stories that one is presenting is to start reading them. Taking a good look at one's wardrobe and their go-to outfits, can really allow that person to start shaping, and maybe even re-thinking, the stories that they are telling on a daily basis.