Conflicts when it comes to dressing up…
Written by Adel
When we were children, our choices of outfit-of-the-day were much easier than today. Our brains were filled with princesses, cars, animals, or dolls, and there was not any place for thoughts about being judged or limited. Remember the times when we got up, came down to the living room to have hot cocoa in the morning and on the couch were clothes already prepared by our parents. The hardest thing was to bundle up into the tights and undershirt. As time went by, we formed our own opinions on what we wanted to wear based on the influences of cartoons we watched, pop stars we followed, and the people around us. That is the age where the first arguments about our ways of dressing started.
Photo: the movie Clueless/Evert Collection
“That skirt is too short, the jeans are too tight, the jumper makes you look fat, that looks funny on you, the clothes only hang on you, the colour does not match your skin tone, you should not show that much skin.”
Not only parents, but the whole of society was determining what we should wear today. I believe that it was not only once, but many times that you have stood in front of the mirror, undecided on what to wear. The most important thing during these times is to stop for a while and ask yourself, “Who am I dressing for? Is it for me or for my friends/someone I like/someone I want to be liked and accepted by?” If the answer is anything but yourself, you are getting into a never-ending loop of self-criticism. You will never see yourself as good enough.
Dressing nicely, according to your personal preferences, might boost your confidence, but there may be some occasions where you are not able to wear the things you wish. This includes, for instance, religion or background. And don’t forget school dress codes - many schools have come up with strict guidelines about what the students can and cannot wear to school, and often there are some nonsensical restrictions. In these cases, the way you wear the clothes is much more important than what you are actually wearing. TConfidence radiating from your posture and smile creates a fashionable look in itself. Most importantly, feeling good in your own skin makes a major difference when it comes to interaction with people and going about your day.
We were born with the ability to think and make our own preferences however, society and religions still try to come up with new rules or stereotypes to be fulfilled, in order to create the ideal standards that people should follow. The only way to avoid conflicts about the way we dress is by fitting the ‘ideal’ in the minds of our parents, society, authorities, or religious leaders. What a pity this is! Why should we limit our creativity and self-expression because of those silly ideals? By no means am I saying that we should not respect the recommendations and advice of others. We absolutely should take them into consideration, however, I simply mean that all of those aspects have no obligation to determine our own wardrobe preferences. As highly-regarded British designer Alexander McQueen said, “Fashion should be a form of escapism and not a form of imprisonment.”
IMAGES
the movie Clueless/Evert Collection/ https://www.instyle.com/fashion/chers-12-best-looks-clueless?slide=78727899-b201-4c80-9324-ad2d20239d8d#78727899-b201-4c80-9324-ad2d20239d8d