So generally I wear the first thing that I touch on a Monday morning, my day off! I consider my default dress mode being jeans and a jumper, or jeans and a T-shirt type of mode. If I happen to touch a top that everyone stopped wearing 5 years ago, it would not deter me one bit, my premise being that as long as it’s clean and intact, I couldn’t care less. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t always get it right so something that seemed like a good idea at the time will make me realise when I catch my reflection, not to do that ever again. I don’t aim to be different in my attire, I am not eclectic in anyway, I just don’t subscribe to other people’s views on what they think I should be wearing, the newsflash is, I dress to represent myself, not who people believe I should be representing.
With that in mind I strongly believe that you must dress for the occasion. So if you are going to work or to an institute that requires a dress code, on entering you should adhere to the pre-stated policies. I say pre-stated as I believe that certain people of authority will try to amend the rules according to personal tastes and we can not be having that. If it’s not in the Standard of Practice then a thumbs up to said person is sufficient. For example, if you go to church looking like a gangster rapper, that may offend some people but there is nothing to really say that you must wear a suit to church especially in 2016 and plus, can rappers not be holy people?!? However, if you go to work dressed for Formula 1 but you work in a corporate office, well maybe just have a little word with your motivations about that one.
Then there is the question of are you breaking the law and outraging public decency? If yes then rightly so you must be called on it, so if you are exposing yourself then yeah, you have to re think that and respect the law of the land and maybe take a little time out in a small room!
Finally, if you are not old enough to buy your own clothes, then don’t be wearing a mini skirt, it’s not OK in any land in my opinion, by my principle I find it cringe worthy looking at a teenage girl trying to offer sneak peaks to the world, plenty time for that mama. To everyone else, I say unapologetically be yourself!!!
So back to my inconsistent wardrobe, my friends know that once I find an item that I love, I will wear it till failure, and that’s in both senses of the word. My main thing is comfort, I just can not deal with the idea that people make themselves physically uncomfortable in order to make themselves socially comfortable. Let’s take for instance the girl in the high heels (who I have tried to be but resembled a clumsy giraffe):
She enters the club and of course she looks on point but sadly for her, the toe vibrations begin to kick in accompanied with erratic mood swings as people are stepping on her toes and she can’t even drink it off because she is the designated driver for the night. She is no longer able to enjoy her evening because she left her flats in the car and there is a no re-entry policy to the club- Ahhhh it’s just not worth it. And to add insult to injury, across the room is the girl in the trainers, now for heel girl it wasn’t that type of night but had she known trainers were allowed she may have reassessed her footwear, she is now a hater cause she is witnessing comfy feet having a ball…and she is not.
Now I know that despite this, many girls will not forsake their heels based on the sexiness and beauty that they command, nothing wrong with that at all but if you are not that chick then ask yourself, why did you really put those heels on, who are you doing it for? I can’t be that girl, I’m preemptive striking the above scenario with flats and if you want to see my sexy calves I will tip toe for you!
I was in London Bridge the other day and to my shock horror I had forgotten my headphones so had no choice but to people watch on the underground, not creepy at all! I saw some marvellously trendy people. My mental responses ranged from, “That’s nice“, “That’s different” and “Core crickey.” But you know what, the common denominator was that many seemed comfortable and content in their clothes. For the ones who didn’t I wanted to stop them vox pop style and examine the thinking behind it. My need to know often consumes me.
I know people who will not wear last season clothes or who stalk the web hash tagging styles and latest trends. Not only does that seem extremely expensive to me but mighty confusing. Why do I want to have the same clothes as everyone else? (apart from the time in my late teens when me and my friends thought that was so cute for a couple years, some of whom may deny it but I got pictures, wink!)
A little back story, I always got everything late, if everyone was wearing it in the summer, I got it at Christmas when no one cared, probably from the market or passed down from an older cousin so I guess I was slightly conditioned to accept from a young age that I was not trending with everyone else. Now this is just what I live by… Cheers mum and dad!
When it comes to my friends, I know some would just love to get their hands on certain items of mine and burn it or make me that ‘make over chick’…but no! One even told me the other day that she didn’t care for my shoes. Yeah they are bold bright and clunky but I love them so would that make me feel any way?…Nope! When you start getting into the habit of caring about what people think, you lose your identity and become a bit of a lemming. Only when it causes real distress to someone may I rethink it, like when I wear a headscarf to collect my son from school and the pain clearly resonates throughout his body…sorry bupsie!
So to sum it up, you won’t hear me criticising anyone’s clothes but if I’m having an all white party and you turn up in bright pink… please refer above to paragraph two to avoid embarrassment!
WHAT THE PEOPLE SAY:
How influenced are you by others when choosing your clothes?
“Very influenced, not on brands but types of clothes, the way they are worn, how it looks.”
“Not influenced at all. Dress for yourself not for other people. As long as you like what you see in the mirror that’s all that matters.”
“Not very much. I have to dress for the body I have, not the one I wish I had.”
Next blog: “Sometimes I just don’t want to…” #4 Answer my phone
Jacqui Louis 