The Problem With Aesthetics and Labels.

I've been having a real problem lately with the fashion world. Everyone knows that in the fashion industry, the ultimate goal is yes, to have people buy clothes. But this itself is not so much the problem (though there are many things about this I could write on alone). I am having a problem with people's tendencies nowadays to attribute, with virtually any outfit, an assigned aesthetic or "-core". If an outfit is even remotely formal with collars or sweaters in dark neutral tones, it becomes dark academia. Something colorful and patterned becomes dreamcore. Slightly eccentric and swirly jewelry/clothes turns into whimsigoth. So on and so forth. What is going on?? Can't we just say, "hey this is a cute outfit, would you ever buy something like that?? " It's something I feel has gotten out of hand. I even see it for things like music, home decor, jewelry, everything really. Normally I wouldn't bring it up unless I felt it was detrimental in some way, so let's explore that. 

Over the years, I have experimented with looks and hairstyles and color schemes and makeup. This is a natural process of the developing mind. And as any young individual does, I was spending a lot of mental energy wondering if people would think i was cool if I wore certain clothes. I also felt that If I wore all things from a certain style category, I would be easier to profile as a potential friend; people would know what kind of person I was by my classified outfits. I felt it would be good for my confidence, but I didn't realize it would harm my real identity. I also grew up with Pinterest, which meant I had a steady inflow of outfit inspiration of all varieties. Eventually after spending so long trying to imagine how I would fit best into any one style, it became clear I couldn't always match just one. I had spent so much time thinking about how I wanted people to interpret me instead of wearing what would naturally let the true things about me shine through. 

Now that I am older and (hopefully) wiser, I have become more the person who just wears whatever I think looks fun to wear. Whether I have developed a mostly consistent style is not so much important to me anymore. However, I am sure that if someone tried hard enough, they could think of a style name for what I wear most often. Point is, whether that's true or not, good or bad, I don't care anymore. And I think things would be a little better for everyone if people cared a little less about what they wear. I'm not saying don't go all out with your outfits. In fact, I very much enjoy seeing people get bold with their looks. it's admirable. I just wish people didn't care so much about having a specific name for their style and try so hard to dress in that style exclusively. It just doesn't feel natural. 

Having a categorized style that others can copy by wearing the same things is counterintuitive to having an identity that is your own. By giving it a name you've socially commodified it to be bought by others whether you want that or not. Giving something a label means others can identify with something. This is good for some things. It is not good for certain aspects of identity. It takes away from individual interests and replaces it with something large and encompassing, which is something too ??? to want to be replicated in other people. I do not hate people being inspired by other's looks, aesthetics, whatnot. I DO hate trying to look exactly like them and wearing the exact same outfits just to be able to say that you fit into a certain "aesthetic" or "-core". It is different somehow. If someone on the outside observed my style, they probably could give it a name. But that is not my concern. So long as I do not do that to myself, I am in control. I do not want to define myself in terms of what I wear. It assumes qualities of my personality that are too varied to always match a singular category of style. I don't want people to ASSUME certain personality traits about me, I want them to LEARN them through talking to me. People don't want to do that when they think they've already got you figured out. Aesthetics are also very surface level. People will only willingly learn surface level qualities about you and then move on. That is a consequence of the categorization of style and identity. When you create something such as labels that do a lot of the characterizing for you, people decide that there is nothing left to know.  You've simplified yourself and that isn't good for anyone!

One might also feel a pressure to always dress a certain way once they have been put into a box, or put themselves in a box. This saps dressing up of one of its core values, genuine self-expression and the freedom to wear whatever. it's no problem if you enjoy wearing the same kinds of things over and over, but it shouldn't be a forced effort just to keep up a certain image. You will find that actually strips you of any depth as a person, as you've limited yourself to a set of rules. It's not good for you to never change. You become your own enemy if you do this. You also just become a trend for everybody else to follow until they get bored, never seeing you for anything else other than "they had a really good and identifiable style". Did you know a style can be developed without intentionally choosing what to wear? It's true! Because style is more than clothing. It's personality, interests, food preferences, media, philosophies, and everything else. You might lose a more complex version of yourself if you resort to a clothing identity (personality brand). I can't stop you, of course, these are just my concerns. My ultimate message is please, please, wear whatever you want, and whatever you think looks good, not what others think works well as an aesthetic or "-core". 

-M