The Pursuit of Style
Style: “a mode of fashion, as in dress, esp. good or approved fashion; elegance; smartness” (dictionary.com); “the usage accepted by those who want to be up-to-date (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary). How I hate thee. I know this is hypocritical in almost every way possible considering I write a fashion blog, I read numerous fashion blogs multiple times a day, and my entire life is pretty much consumed with fashion and the pursuit of style, but I finally realized how much I actually loathe that simple little word with a thousand meanings. “Where did this come from?” you ask.
I was sitting in my anthropology class, when the guy I’m sitting next to says, his girlfriend saw me the other day and thinks I have great style. As flattering as that was, it started to bother me. What made my outfit that day, stylish? Do I look stylish now. Is his girlfriend a good judge of style? Was he just kidding because I partially look like a pirate today? That’s when it happened. I realized how much I actually abhor the word style, sheerly because the way it controls everything. It brings out or most insecure selves often in the most expensive way possible.
No matter, what we all have a style of dress unique to our personality. Even if we are following trends or wearing the exact same dress Blake Lively was wearing around the Gossip Girl set last week, no two people will wear something exactly the same. Not only this, but who are the ultimate judges of “good style?” Are they the fashion designers, the magazine editors, the multitudes of celebrities and models we adorn with the title “style icon”, or does it all trickle down onto our shoulders? One of my first posts was the quote from The Devil Wears Prada when Miranda pretty much tears Andy a new one using the color Cerulean. As fantastic as the bitch out was, is it truthful— and if so, what can we do to change it? Thinking everything I put on my body and the way I wear something was subliminally dictated by someone else creeps me out.
Perhaps, that’s why I dislike the idea so much. Not having control over your own life is horrifying, and being subject to some unknown, indeterminate force we call style is even more horrifying. But, what can we do?
Honestly, I haven’t quite figured that out yet. I doubt my semi-transcendental blog post about style will affect anything. I doubt anything anyone says will ever change the fact that as humans we find pleasure in being able to judge others, but it feels terribly good to know I’ve gotten my feelings out in the open. So, what are your feelings on style? Am I being completely illogical for hating the word style? Is writing about this on a fashion blog the most obnoxious thing I could possibly do? Oh, the humanity!
