The older I have gotten, I have noticed the silent language of fashion. How you dress reveals not only your style but also hints at your values. Of course, I have heard that how you dress is an expression of who you are, but I am finally starting to see that there is truth to it the more I examine how I have chosen to dress.
As a homeschooled kid, I did not really care what I looked like. I left my hair in the same braid for days and wore whatever was easiest- overalls, my brothers’ hand-me-down jeans or if I felt fancy, a skirt with a princess-y top. To others, my wild hair and mismatched outfits would have solidified that I was just a kid concerned with playing and being alive. I did know that the style of an outfit had a purpose, since we had to dress up for church and it sent the message that we were giving our best to God. I did not know that my neighbors’ Catholic school uniforms symbolized that they were all part of a group that believed the same.
When I went to high school, I saw that everyone wore hoodies that were gray, black or school colors. These people had been going to school together since they were in kindergarten, so of course they dressed like a group. I felt sure that my fun, heart-printed jeans marked me as a young outsider. I steered my wardrobe away from bright colors and fun patterns, because of course being grown-up meant being serious and dull, and I wanted to tell the world that I was part of this group.
Towards the end of high school and into college, I realized that fashion is something to play with. Yes, usually I just dress based on the weather and the work I will do, but my body is something to decorate. So, some days I put on bright colors or fun eyeshadow to combat the dreariness of growing up. I see people around me play with silhouette, texture and color. Still, there are patterns of dress that groups of people fall into. You will likely find people who value the arts and humanities in earth tones, and athletes in sweatpants and school apparel. Early childhood education majors are probably in bright colors, and those studying the sciences may have a polished look about them. I have heard that this is the time in our lives where we care most about how we are perceived- after all, we have to find jobs, friends and perhaps a boyfriend or girlfriend.
Sometimes when I think about how focused on appearance young adults are, I remember my parents. My mother does not straighten her hair because her soul does not need it. Yes, her curls can be frizzy, but they are beautiful when they are worn with joy and without a care as to what the world will think. My father is not afraid to wear a flannel with camo shorts because that is what will feel right for a walk around the park or yard work in early fall. Maybe it takes being either very young or just a tiny bit old to be truly comfortable in your body. My parents are past the age where their body is something to worry about decorating, and now, to them, it really is the vessel of their life. It retells their memories through the odd ache here and there, and the new lines on their faces. To them, their body is something to take care of, gently, to cherish and to relish being alive in. Maybe once I am old enough, I too will return to what I felt as a child, and my body will just be the vessel of my life and not something to constantly and silently communicate with.
