Fashion as a Combative Measure

Fashion (perhaps more adequately described as style for the purposes of this piece) is a conundrum of great magnitude for me. On one hand, I can see the ridiculousness of purchasing expensive clothes or taking inordinate amounts of time every day to doll up your hairdo or pluck your nose hairs. A simple tunic and trousers should do any man sufficiently, but where is the fun in that? Where’s the artistic expression? That is my justification for doing what I do…trying on multiple outfits and attempting to realize which combination of faded denim and vintage button up most accurately defines me as a person. Justification may not be the correct term. Perhaps excuse would fit more appropriately.

In the end, I suppose I realize that striving to be stylish is basically only there to establish immediately your position and current endeavor. Don’t judge a book by its cover is a fine statement, except that a book’s cover is intentionally meant to keep you from having to judge it on anything else. We use suits and ties like battle armor, meant to enhance our wealth and power with a single Windsor knot. Who’s is tied tighter shall win. A girl walks up to a guy at a bar, not because his facial features attract her or the stoic way with which he purchases liquor, but because her little tie-dyed sarong accentuates his Mexican wedding shirt. Dreadlocks find dreads and Ambercrombie finds Fitch.

Conclusion: one who ignores fashion can be assumed to either have no goal (whether immediate or longterm) or to already have accomplished all of their goals and therefore no need to present themselves any longer.

Up Next: ... (pt. 6)