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Photo credit: Arianna Belle The Blog |
Being animals that prefer to mimic one another to a certain degree so as to not be socially outcast, this constant bombardment of fashion images is bound to influence the choices we make for our own styles. Whether conscience or not, we are more likely to purchase items we see regularly -- whether at school, around the area where we live, or on television. It is the power of suggestion: no different than seeing an advertisement over and over until we convince ourselves that we must own the product in the ad. Or, in this case, look like the styles we see over and over in magazines.
This need humans have to assimilate can be expensive when it comes to the trends that rush past us. If we are always chasing the current trend, we are inevitably also tossing money at that trend. If we instead have a solid sense of our own style, we can look for items of quality which will last a long time. Which makes me wonder: is this easy access to passing trends partly to blame for the constant decline of quality clothing? Manufacturers wouldn’t make poor quality clothing if we refused to buy it, but many of us have been less conscience about our long-term clothing needs than our short-term goals of looking “right.”
It took me a long time to solidify my style, but now that I have, I find it easier to turn away from items that don’t fit in. Instead of chasing the latest trend, I know that what I’m buying will last me a long time as long as it is made well. In fact, one of the things I consider is whether a potential purchase will look foolish on me in five or ten years. As I still wear some clothing from my pre-teen years, this is not an unrealistic question to consider, and helps me avoid making purchases that will prematurely age me by looking too “young” for me.
What do you think? Have you consciously moved away from looking trendy to embrace your own style? Or do you prefer the current culture of inexpensive options that are similar to high-fashion styles?
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