The funny piece about this English language thing that we all share is that it has the most words of any language. Many of them overlap- similiar meanings, shared meanings. How many words can you think of that mean 'tired'? The meanings of some words change based on the context of the situation. Context is the most powerful driving factor in communication, bar none.
Like the spoken and written word, context can also change nonverbal communication in powerful ways. The clothing which you wear can speak volumes about your personality. Or your intent. Or your mood. How you wear that clothing can change the meaning drastically. For instance, a necktie cinched up against the collar and knotted symmetrically conveys a sense of order and professionalism. Take that same necktie and loosen it overtop of an unbuttoned collar and it now shows a slightly disheveled, much more casual look.
So, the point of the story? Context plays an important role in how other people perceive your image. Seems simple, doesn't it? Well, it is. Sometimes. The problem with looking at context and image as a simple matter of do-this-and-people-will-think-this is that everyone thinks differently. The most pronounced differences in how people perceive things run along cultural and generational lines. This is most evident in the design of garments among different ethnic groups. Take, for instance, the differences in Asian-inspired garments versus those of North American design.
Hopeless, right?
Not entirely. Style should speak about who you are. What you do. What you like, and perhaps even what you think (although, in my case I tend to avoid the latter. Honestly, who would want to wear a shirt that just screams 'I LOVE BEER!!!' -- my apologies to people who like to wear shirts that scream 'I LOVE BEER!!!' and also the people at Molson Canadian. I hear they give away a lot of those shirts).
And here I promised that I would try to veer off on tangents less often. My apologies, dear reader.
So, how does style speak about who you are? On the surface, this seems like a ridiculous statement that I've just made- one that is difficult to put into practice.
Here's the brilliant thing about it though- your sense of style speaks of who you are simply by the act of you purchasing things that appeal to you (by God, if I had a nickel for every time I heard 'but I like to wear what you like to look at, honey' then Forbes would be writing about me every month, and not Warren Buffett).
The SIMPLE ONE MOST IMPORTANT thing to keep in mind when buying clothing is fit. Proper fit, to be exact. If your clothing is ill-fitted, then it will make you look sloppy. Or worse, it will make you look like you're wearing dad's hand-me-downs. Or mom's hand-me-downs. Or mom wearing dad's hand-me-downs (this would be fairly close to worst-case scenario, I think).
What makes for proper fit? Comfort? Not necessarily. Yes, 'comfort' is important. You can't wear clothes that you're not comfortable in. But the idea of comfort can be a giant razor-toothed bear-trap sort of thing that you would only see in the most outlandish Bugs Bunny cartoon. Being set by Elmer Fudd. Here's what I mean by this: if you're used to wearing shirts that are two sizes too big, that's what you will find most comfortable (even though they make you look sloppy).
Clothing that fits properly flatters your frame, enhances your physical assets, and presents you in a much more positive light to the people around you than clothing which does not. One side effect of this: if you look fantastic, and you know you look fantastic, you tend to feel... more or less... fantastic.
If you're not sure how to go about this buying-clothes-that-fit-properly thing, hire a professional to tag along for the afternoon when you go shopping. Ironically enough, I know one who loves that sort of thing.
Hopeless, right?
Not entirely. Style should speak about who you are. What you do. What you like, and perhaps even what you think (although, in my case I tend to avoid the latter. Honestly, who would want to wear a shirt that just screams 'I LOVE BEER!!!' -- my apologies to people who like to wear shirts that scream 'I LOVE BEER!!!' and also the people at Molson Canadian. I hear they give away a lot of those shirts).
And here I promised that I would try to veer off on tangents less often. My apologies, dear reader.
So, how does style speak about who you are? On the surface, this seems like a ridiculous statement that I've just made- one that is difficult to put into practice.
Here's the brilliant thing about it though- your sense of style speaks of who you are simply by the act of you purchasing things that appeal to you (by God, if I had a nickel for every time I heard 'but I like to wear what you like to look at, honey' then Forbes would be writing about me every month, and not Warren Buffett).
The SIMPLE ONE MOST IMPORTANT thing to keep in mind when buying clothing is fit. Proper fit, to be exact. If your clothing is ill-fitted, then it will make you look sloppy. Or worse, it will make you look like you're wearing dad's hand-me-downs. Or mom's hand-me-downs. Or mom wearing dad's hand-me-downs (this would be fairly close to worst-case scenario, I think).
What makes for proper fit? Comfort? Not necessarily. Yes, 'comfort' is important. You can't wear clothes that you're not comfortable in. But the idea of comfort can be a giant razor-toothed bear-trap sort of thing that you would only see in the most outlandish Bugs Bunny cartoon. Being set by Elmer Fudd. Here's what I mean by this: if you're used to wearing shirts that are two sizes too big, that's what you will find most comfortable (even though they make you look sloppy).
Clothing that fits properly flatters your frame, enhances your physical assets, and presents you in a much more positive light to the people around you than clothing which does not. One side effect of this: if you look fantastic, and you know you look fantastic, you tend to feel... more or less... fantastic.
If you're not sure how to go about this buying-clothes-that-fit-properly thing, hire a professional to tag along for the afternoon when you go shopping. Ironically enough, I know one who loves that sort of thing.
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