Fashion is something located at the core of human activities and interests. Clothes have always played an important role in society and individual’s lives. They are communicators of who we want to be, who we are, our world view and much more.
In other words, fashion is strongly related not only to who we are, but also to our values, interests and the types of relationships in which we are interested.
These are, briefly explained; the main reasons why fashion is such a sensitive topic and why it is so much debated. Sometimes, clothes are even a taboo: how many people do you know who don’t want to take any criticism or comments when it comes to their clothes?
Because fashion is such an important thing, many people avoid it, blocked by the fear of being ridiculed for it. Public shaming and, above all, negative critiques to fashion – meaning to who you are, who you want to be, your values and your interests would create a lot of discomfort in many people. This is why so many people are afraid to dress up – the fear of not doing it right and thus on the one hand not expressing themselves rightly, which would mean doing an injustice to themselves and on the other hand being critiqued by others, which involves the possibility of being a social outcast is keeping many people away from great style.
Fashion has a lot to do with attitude. The way you feel when you dress up will make the clothes look better or worse, but it goes the other way too: the way you dress can influence the way you feel. This is why so many people who have a strong relation with their clothes are people who are generally quite confident. They know who they are and don’t fear the possibility of being critiqued. It’s a sign of maturity, if you will.
But, until you get there, how does one know if they are doing it rightly? You could think you are pulling things off like nobody else, when in fact you are not pulling them off at all?
While there is no true fashion oracle (although some people come close) who can tell you if you look great or not, there are a few ways to discover if you are doing yourself justice, sartorially speaking.
Ask people. This might sound rather vague and fake, but asking people straight-forward “what do you think of this look”, “do these go together” or “is this too short” will give you a sense of how you are perceived. While many people might lie and say you look amazing not to offend you, you will be able to tell from their voice and tone if that is true. Also, having someone who knows a thing or two about fashion and who will tell you directly anything is great. The problem with this method is that you might live in a group where people don’t really know a lot about fashion or who simply have a very different sense of what great style is, which is why this method is not always the best way to go.
Ask online. There are lots of forums today online where you can ask people about your looks. Reddit for example, allows you to post comments, pictures and questions in groups dedicated to various things. You can, for example ask for opinions on a picture (even a picture of your clothes form the neck down) in several categories and see how different types of people (it does not necessarily has to be a fashion-related group) react to you. Also, apps such as Sarahah allow you to gain anonymous feedback – as for it on your social media. On AttireClub.org and our social media, we are also always open to receiving questions about looks and give feedback.
Style yourself down. If you think that you have an exquisite sense of style, style yourself down and wear something impeccable, but very basic. For example, wear a suit. If you really do have a great sense of style, you will look in your suit like a GQ model. The reason why this is a good test of your style is because if you can’t do a simple thing, you probably can’t do a more complicated one. It’s like in math: if you can’t do a simple addition, you’re not very likely to be able to make some complicated calculations.
The subjective nature of style makes it quite hard to get correct answers, but if you ask people who are honest, whose opinions matters to you and whom you trust, if you check people’s reactions to you in general and if you always work on perfecting your style, you will have over time a pretty clear picture of where you are from a style point of view.
Bear in mind that the people around you could be many times wrong or will try to keep you down, which is why you should never give up on your sartorial ideals and always work on them to obtain the best expression of the vision you have in your mind.
Fraquoh and Franchomme
Further reading:
A critique to fashion and fetishism
Clothes, materialism and feelings
From Italian sprezzatura to being cool
Dream brands: Which one’s yours?
P.S. We want to hear from you! Do you ask for feedback on your looks? Where do you look for it? What has been the best advice you’ve received? Share your feedback, questions or thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on style, fashion tips and cultural insights, you can subscribe to Attire Club via e-mail or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!