Objective:

• Investigate how physical appearance affects definitions of identity and belonging.

Original Post: 

What I wear today is very different from what I used to wear. What really changed my style was when I started working at Nordstrom’s. That got me into fashion and really influenced what I wore. I was able to see and try a lot of clothes and see which styles I like and didn’t like. What also changed my style was the people that I met when I was working there. One  of my coworkers had an awesome style and I really liked it a lot. I started talking to him and asking questions about brands and where he was buying his clothes from. That guy is the reason why I got into high end streetwear and introduced me to my favorite store in Portland. Another way I pick clothes is by watching what people wear. I really enjoy watching all the Chinese students at our school because most of them are really into fashion. If I see someone wearing a piece that catches my attention, I will go research it and find more information about it. The last way is by Instagram. I follow my favorite store and different fashion people, so i can see more clothes and accessories. The only belief I have with the way I dress is that I want to look everyday. So I never wear athletic clothes unless Im going to be working out. I wear the clothes that I believe are nice and make me present who I am when people see me. Some of the brands you will see me wearing are Hugo Boss, hood by air, represent clothing, and adyn. I didn’t get any beliefs from my family about what I wear. My dad usually is wearing athletic stuff when he’s not working and my mom dresses a lot nicer. The only thing they strongly believe in is me having no tattoos and piercings. As of right now I don’t have any tattoos or piercings on my body and that will probably stay like that for the rest of my life. I’m not a huge fan of piercings and not interested in a tattoo right now. My friends that I hang out with all dress deferent. Some wear mainly athletic clothes and others are into fashion and dress similar to me. I have friends with tattoos and piercings and some that don’t. Their parents were like mine where they don’t like tattoos or piercings. To conclude, I wear clothes that I like and that present me in a good way to people. I dress nicely every time I go out because I never know who I could meet and I like looking good.

Reflection: 

This was my favorite artifact by far as I really like talking about clothes and fashion in general. I found a good article by Niel Patel called “Why You Should Dress to Impress – The ROI of Fashion,” that explains why dressing to look good is important. This article hits the objective I’m focusing on of how physical appearance affects definitions of identity and belonging. There is a quote I really like from the article that I believe is true. It says, “Think it really matters how you dress? If you’re a good person overall, shouldn’t people realize it and not judge you based on your threads? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but people judge you based on the clothes you wear. I don’t care if you’re walking down the street or sitting in a business meeting; people are constantly looking at what you’re wearing.” This really shows that you are constantly being judged by the people around you. Strangers don’t know what kind of person you are as they don’t know you, but they will make assumptions about what kind of person you are based on how you present yourself. For myself, I believe I present myself in a good manner everyday that would make people want to associate with me. I believe it is very important as you never know who you could meet that day, and if I was dressed wrong, that person may not take me seriously or believe what I have to say.

I really like this article as it shows the transition of a consultant who didn’t take his clothes seriously to wearing designer suits and nice accessories and the affect it had on his business. He talked about how no one took him seriously at the meetings when he was we slacks and a shirt from target. But, when he started investing lots of money in clothes, people were more willing to talk to him and believed he was somewhat well off because he dressed nicer. This next quote of his is something I strongly believe in. He says, “Once I started dressing to impress, successful business owners started to flock to me when I attended networking events, and people listened when I spoke in business meetings. This experience taught me that successful people like to hang with other successful people as they tend to feel comfortable around people like themselves.” I believe that physical appearance plays a huge part in everyday life. If you dress like a slob, people will associate you with not being smart and won’t take what you say seriously. And on the end of the spectrum, by dressing nicely, people will associate as being knowledgable and will listen to you when you speak.

Future Goals: 

I will continue to dress how I dress today. I believe the clothes I am wearing are nice and present me in a good way to people. I will continue to invest in clothing and accessories as I get older to keep improving my appearance. I hope other people will start to realize just how important it is to invest in clothing.