Every year I seem to fall into the same trap of never knowing how to dress for the upcoming season. Especially with the tiny closets that Stanford has allotted us, I seem to be the CEO of cycling my outfits. But staring at the pile of clothes I have yet to fold, and my can’t-even-shut-them-completely-closed drawers of clothes I haven’t worn yet this year, I’ve vowed that the rest of the quarter and school year is dedicated to wearing the clothes that haven’t made it out the confined of my room.
However, this has come to be way harder of a task than I could’ve imagined. To put it simply, I love being comfortable–physically and mentally. Physically, I have no shame in re-wearing outfits I know I like, and that I know can last me throughout the day biking, walking, sitting, or sweating, from my previous wears; mentally, knowing that I’ve worn a certain outfit before with no issues gives me a sense of comfort in that I’m not being perceived any different than I would on any other day (as if I’m being perceived, but let me be delusional here). So when I’m clawing through my hangers and drawers trying not to stare at the tempting white shirt and shorts iteration that I’ve been wearing the past eight weeks, I feel immense insecurity in that I’m both choosing to be physically and mentally uncomfortable.
But this idea of being uncomfortable got me thinking: who really cares? Yes, obviously it’s so much easier said than practiced, but arguably, Stanford has one of the better-dressed student bodies compared to other universities. I’ve seen a wide range of aesthetics and clashing patterns, and yet have never batted an eye at the heels, fur tails, or flip flops and pants combination (okay this one maybe a little), that have walked and biked across our campus. Yet when I choose to wear a new bolero or loudly patterned jumpsuit, even to the smallest of things such as sunglasses or funky accessories, I feel incredibly self-conscious that people are staring at me as if I weren’t wearing any clothes. However, as I’ve reflected upon my own perception of Stanford’s fashion, I’ve been trying to get into this same mentality: being someone somewhat conscious of style and fashion, I’ve never thought that someone is wearing something provocative or unattractive in any capacity, so why should I think that anyone is doing that to me?
Fashion is incredibly subjective. It’s based on personal cultures, body shapes and sizes, and aesthetics among so many other things. If someone chooses to wear the skinniest of jeans and walk around like Naomi Campbell, who am I to judge them? If someone wears something Tik-Tok deems as “out of trend,” but they think it’s comfortable, stylish, and funky, who am I to say anything at all if they look great while doing it? Especially with social media, people become so myopic in terms of what is labeled as “in fashion” and “out of fashion.” But why do we need someone–or something–to tell us what to wear?
So the next time you are too afraid to wear something more out of your comfort zone to class or even to Coupa, wear it with pride! Because literally no one cares. So wear those new shoes, cut your crop tops shorter, buy that item that’s been sitting in your online shopping cart! If you look good and feel good wearing whatever it is, who is anyone else to tell you otherwise!
XO,
Chloe
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