Let’s do a spot of research with some word associations; what’s the first thing that comes to mind when hearing the word ‘clothes’? Next, consider the word ‘trends’, and finally the word ‘style’. With me so far? Good – now it’s time to analyse your answers.
All three of those words were open to interpretation and could in fact elicit a number of different responses. Perhaps you began by thinking of a certain item of clothing, following it up with how you would, or maybe should, wear said article. On the other hand, you may have been thinking of a brand of clothing or particular store you like to shop at. It would be interesting to know how many of you thought of your individual wardrobe choices, which should always ooze your own sense of style.
In today’s day and age, fashion is a big part of our everyday lives. Essentially, we can choose to either ignore or embrace it, with most choosing the latter. So why do we put such a large emphasis on fashion and clothing? I would expect the most likely reason to be the fact our wardrobe decisions help define who we are, giving off a certain impression to others.
Although we try hard not to, the saying ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ is extremely apt, and so much more difficult to live by than you would think. We all do it, often without even realising it; if a man walks down the street wearing a smart suit and tie combination, ear attached to his iPhone, we immediately make assumptions as to his job – we may even go as far to say he looks wealthy, or consider his personality and say he looks like a hard business man. That’s a lot to discover simply by looking at his clothes.
So if people are continually analysing our appearance and making such large judgements on our outfit choices alone, surely this means we should always try hard, putting effort into our clothing style? Now contrary to popular belief, being conscious of our wardrobe choices doesn’t mean we have to spend a fortune; nor does it mean we have to spend every moment of every waking day shopping, or thinking of a new look. You can be a savvy shopper by simply keeping your toes dipped in the water when it comes to new trends.
Remember those three words you thought of before? Consider their true meaning, and if in any doubt, think of it in terms of an equation; clothes + trends = style.
