It was recently said to me by my boyfriend that he was talking to someone he knew about my style and in the conversation they had said they admire my courage to wear the clothes I do. Now this was said in a totally complimentary way and I shall take it in no other but it made me stop and think. I was a little stunned if I'm honest. Courage? What's so courageous about wearing clothes?
Our society is very keen on the image people present and so are many creatures in the animal kingdom; what do peacocks use their feathers for if not showing off? We have evolved though and gained a higher level of intelligence; to be so concerned with what others look like seems like a step in the retrograde to me. So why would wearing the clothes I like require courage? Then I remember the times I have walked through a town, wearing a circle skirt and blouse or some other 40's or 50's outfit, and had gaggles of girls giggle at me as I walk past. These experiences are not just the fruits of paranoia before someone suggests it! These situations have actually happened to me and when I look back on them I realise that to someone else the comments, stares, and giggles would be enough to make them go home and change. I carry on despite them, in some cases because of them, and am undeterred in my love of dressing vintage. I suppose that is what they meant by courage.
You can be a juicy, ripe peach and there's still going to be someone who doesn't like peaches, so you can either submit to someone's criticism of you, or you can get on with the business of being your own amazing self who attracts other like-minded people that appreciate you. - Dita Von Teese
2 comments:
Friends of mine (and randoms at the carboot!) often say something similar to me. To the point where I have been debating writing a post about it.
I think it does take a certain amount of courage to wear *anything* that is not the "norm" where so much is put on how you look :)
I was about to say the same thing! Yes, we evolved to become intelligent, but we also developed social norms, and people don't like to deviate from that.
I, personally, think it takes a lot of balls to stand out and be different. If you can be different and looks fabulous at the same, then all the better!
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