Fantastic or Plastic: Is Fashion Superficial?

Hey guys! I hope everyone is enjoying the start of the new year! So, I'm doing something a little different from my normal posts today. It is still fashion related, however, instead of sharing outfit ideas, I am going to be sharing my thoughts on what I believe to be a controversial topic: the superficiality of fashion. Hopefully, this will provide you with some insight  as to where I stand on the topic as well as what fashion really means to me. Keep reading if you're interested!

Is fashion superficial? In some ways yes. The oh-so major dilemma of not being able to choose what to wear from a wardrobe full of clothing is the ultimate 'first-world problem'. What you put on for school tomorrow really isn't going to matter next Tuesday. Saving up money for your next pair of shoes seems almost sinful when you can stretch that $60 so much further. Basically, anything we do to change or enhance our appearance can be deemed as superficial. The things that we buy to assist us in such endeavors seem frivolous and unnecessary.

So should we feel guilty about buying new things and wanting to look good? I mean we're helping stimulate the economy right? And I just can't go out in sweatpants every day; it's just not me! Hey, girl, I totally agree; I'm right there with ya. I think that many people are led to believe that the majority of the fashion industry is made up of self-absorbed individuals who blow copious amounts of cash on the latest trends to try and one up each other. I'm sure there are a lot of people who fit that description however, I think that there are so many more (like myself) who really have a love and appreciation of fashion and view it as a form of art.

Okay so then why is this 'art form' so ridiculously expensive? (I know this is what someone is going to be asking at this point so I wrote it out for ya :) I think we all need to forget about the money aspect and realize that style has nothing to do with how much you have in the bank. You may feel like you have to have those $800 Stuart Weitzman Highland boots to be fashionable but you don't! Scoring the new Celine bag isn't going to instantly upgrade your style. Unfortunately '\the idea that money makes the world go round is the reality of today's society/economy, but fashion to me is never about how much I spend on an item. It's all about using your resources, however limited, to pull something together that you love and feel confident in. Now that's style.

I am so glad that I've come to understand fashion in a far less commercialized, money driven light and can see it for what I think it really is: a fine art and true form of self-expression (did anyone get that reference from Lisi Harrison’s The Clique series? No? Oh god I'm old). Self-expression is defined as the expression of one's feelings, thoughts, or ideas especially in writing, art, music or dance (thanks, Google). While I am deeply committed to all the aforementioned creative outlets, I find fashion to be my most consistent form of self-expression. Think about it, we get dressed every single day (or, at least, we think about it). Putting on clothes allows people to see what I'm all about right there on the surface. The expression 'looks are only skin deep' has such a negative connotation yet by dressing a certain way, you can get a bit of an idea of how I'm feeling and who I am.

Don't get me wrong, I totally and wholeheartedly stand behind the 'looks don't matter' mindset but is it such a crime to want to look nice? When I put on a great outfit, my mood instantly improves, I feel more confident and I want to get more things accomplished. There's nothing superficial to me about that.

So the next time you see someone who you think is overdressed and trying too hard while everyone else is wearing sweatpants, don't cast them off as self-centered or superficial. Applaud them rather, and recognize that they have the chops to express themselves in such a visual way. Who knows, if you can appreciate their style, you may feel inspired to put down those leggings and go for some pants. (And we really need more of that...)

Hope this post gave you a little food for thought. Please feel free to comment below, giving your take on the subject. Keep reading and sharing.

Xoxo- Pointe Shoes and Prada.