In black sheep's clothing

Being an offspring of a fashion-oriented flock, I am definitely a black sheep. Lacking a fashion sense to which the majority of society can relate, I've grown up with and grown tired of criticisms about the way I dress.

I don't think my style is blatantly repulsive; I look more drab than anything. Over the years I tried to memorize the various combinations of clothing picked out from my closet that were considered presentable in public. And it was definitely a memory test each time because the matches seemed arbitrary to me. Actually to this day I think the outfits are arbitrary.

Before I go further, I should briefly describe the way I dress. Actually, I'll go with friends' descriptions:
"...Simple, casual and comfortable clothes..."
"...Gangsta, homeless, not so fat person wearing fat person's clothes..."
"...A unique blend of comfortable clothes that fit your personality so well that they don't even need to match to look good on you...or, in a way that makes everyone around you look better..."
I tried to ease myself into their destructive criticism when I copied and pasted those. Dang. Anyway. Pretty clear that I don't dress to impress, and I'm rather frumpy at times to be honest. Obviously I'll dress appropriately if the occasion calls for formal attire. But at other times, I like to be comfortable wearing what I wear.

And why should that be such a social taboo? Why is it necessary to hurt for fashion? Why can't I rock sweatpants and a t-shirt without giving the impression that I just pulled out the top layers from my drawers, even though that's most likely what I did?

Growing up it's so ingrained in us that we need to dress appropriately in public, and to some degrees, in private as well. And the standard for appropriateness is set by people. But even if I don't have a "good" sense of fashion I still know that this standard changes approximately every season. What that means then is that this distinction between good and bad tastes is subjective and pretty much arbitrary, as we can look back at trends past and be disgusted.

So what am I saying really? I won't sugarcoat it. Society excludes those who do not fit in, and membership is based on arbitrary standards. Maybe I'm exaggerating here, but you can't argue that a person's appearance is the first thing one notices. If you don't look good enough, you lose out on many social opportunities, like jobs, dates, entries to clubs, etc.

While one might argue that a person's appearance is directly linked to his or her tidiness, organization skills, perfectionism, and whatever other valued trait you can think of, these are really imposed by society. If we stop stressing over how we look as a whole you wouldn't connect these things to appearances.

Society also encourages the idea of originality being valued while undermining it at the same time. Look at major malls. All dominated by big brand names, chains that sell the same clothes in every store across the country. Sure, it makes perfect sense from a business perspective, but to buy into it, to make that the norm of how one should dress, I find it boring and painful to see.

Yes, I buy clothes from these stores myself, but only out of convenience and for comfort. I'll pick up whatever feels good, often regardless of how it looks. Well, not exactly. More like the plainer the better; I'm not one to draw attention with the way I dress. I also try to make it a point that I don't find clothes more appealing based on their brands, so the more hidden the brand is on the article the better. I suppose that's an unfortunate side effect of growing up in this society. I want to avoid attention because I'm aware that my style is different, and it's not a uniqueness that others will embrace.

It's tough trying to find that balance between being myself and being what society wants me to be. At what point do I conform, and when do I tell everyone to piss off, and be comfortable in my own skin? Is it even worth the effort to be socially accepted?

A new chapter

What up, readers. This is a new blog about life and stuff. It'll blow your mind and piss you off at the same time. Sit tight for a good laugh or a complete paradigm shift when I start cranking out awesome posts.

...If I get motivated enough to start writing, that is. Which I will, so no worries. Just wait and be patient.