I'm not shallow (at least I hope not!) and I'm absolutely not fashionable (shallowness and the implications of fashionability, which is totally a word btw, are what I was going to write about, and will be mentioned later!) but I have to admit I was quite flattered, for the main reason that the whole surreal experience validates the theory of Charlie-style, as put forward by various dear friends of mine, and thereby proves that individuality and wearing what the fuck you want to wear are AWESOME.
So anyway, this girl asked me about various things I was wearing (mainly presents, super cheap, or so ridiculously old I can't remember where they're from) and then took a few photos... Wait, I think she was actually a real fashion reporter... Hmm. Well, if I don't turn up in the Echo in the next few days looking dumb and slightly rained on and clutching plastic bags, I'll know that some woman somewhere in the county just took my picture for her personal collection... Not creepy at all.
Anyway, since I took all this as a sign (no, not literally, I don't believe in signs from god, or, you know, god) that fashion should definitely be my f-word today, a few short sentences along the same lines as what I had half-planned out in my head.
For years and years I thought fashion and being fashionable were essentially Bad Things, essentially synonymous with shallowness and idiocy at worst, gullibility, suggestibility and, well, idiocy at best. I guess I still believe these things, in a way, at least in cases of people buying and wearing absolutely anything, whether they like it or not, just because it's in fashion. Ugh. Not to mention current fashions, which to me are completely bizarre and unattractive, although that's entirely different and due mostly to the fact that I am now old!
Anyway. The thing is, recently I've been thinking of fashion in different terms, and under a different and more general definition; something more along the lines of "what you wear and the implications of that, beyond simply what it looks like." I think this is related to the fat acceptance and body positivity movements that I've been really interested in for a while now, but it occurs to me these days that at the same time as fashion can be repressive, can and does encourage conformity, we can choose to use it in other ways. For example, how many things are there that you would say you "just can't wear"? Has someone you know said "I can't wear skirts/dresses/leggings", with the obvious implication that the body they would be putting the thing in question on - you know, their own - does not meet society's criteria for being allowed to wear this thing. If you haven't heard this, you haven't been listening, I'm 100% sure. So surely the very act of wearing something that society decrees you can't wear is in itself a protest? "Girls who don't shave their legs can't wear skirts without tights!" - fuck that. "Fat people can't wear swimming costumes." - fucking fuck that! "Apple-shapes can't wear high waistlines!" - double fuck that, at least! Apple shape, I ask you, as if there's only as many shapes of women as there are fruits. (If I had to give myself a shape, though, I would choose star-fruit. Yep,)
You know, I'm not wording this very well, which isn't great for someone who dreams of being a writer (you know, in a way that makes you a living) but what I mean is pretty much this. Of course what you wear in NO WAY defines you, or any aspect of you - just as no aspect of your appearance, be it size, hair cut, tattoos or whatever, tells anyone anything except that you are that size, have that haircut, etc - but in choosing what we wear, we can make a statement, or a protest, or even simply express ourselves. Here's the secret that the fashion industry probably doesn't want you to know, because if you do their control over you lessens, and this may surprise you a great deal: you can wear whatever you want! Whatever your size or shape or colouring or what bits stick out where, you can literally wear anything, and as soon as it's on you are already pulling it off!
However, I maintain the belief I have had since I was about twelve, which is this: any reason at all for choosing to wear something, or wearing something for no reason at all, is awesome, but for your own sake, don't waste your time, your money or your awesome body on something just because it's cool! Okay kids?
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