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My buddies always make fun of what i wear. when I try to do something original or unique, they act like im going overboard, even when they just wear sweats and stuff. what do i do?

Fashion is fashion- that is, you shouldn’t feel guilty or otherwise lame because you are dressed well. However, the important thing to remember is simple: the difference between legitimate fashion and costume fashion.

I define “legitimate fashion” as fashion that you can wear for a clear purpose- that is, you have an “excuse” to wear it. Coats, shirts, pants, shoes- these are the kinds of things you are fully expected to wear. This also includes clothing that is accepted as the current fashion trend (like scarves)- basically, stuff that you can “get away with”.

“Costume fashion” is stuff that requires a lot more balls to get away with. This can include anything from trilbys, fedoras, ties, vests, necklaces, rings, etc. This is where you begin to get in trouble. Essentially, the idea here is that these are the things you wear for fashion only, and they rarely serve any form of other purpose other than making you look good.

Here’s the deal- being fashionable doesn’t require you go overboard. If you are walking around dressed like a clown, you are dressed too much. Fit your fashion to the circumstance- if you are in school, you can play around, but obviously you have no reason to walk around in a suit. Similarly, if you are working and expected to wear a suit, don’t run around with an ascot or something ridiculous like a bright pink suit- keep it classy. Fashion is generally best accepted when you take something traditional and give it a modern look, not when you try to become a walking Picasso painting.

Anyway, just ignore it. So long as you aren’t going overboard, you should not care.

Tags: appropriate wear, clothing, Fashion