The way I dress and customize myself does reflect some beliefs and values that I have. With the way my daily schedule is laid out, I often times need to be ready to go straight from a classroom to an athletic facility. For this reason, I may be looked at as others as “lazy” for wearing athletic clothing to class. However, this is not the case. I wear sweats and or athletic shorts to class to be able to transition from class to athletics in a timely manner. This dress attire is reflective of the value of my sport that I hold. I do not wear athletic clothing daily, other than at practice/weights, but it is fairly common. When I am not in athletic clothes, I like to dress in a way that presents myself in a positive light. Often times, there are kids my age that may wear shirts presenting vulgar images/words. Personally, I think this reflects negatively on an individual. I choose to wear what some may call “basic” clothing. I have my own sense of style and choose to present myself in a clean-cut manner. I have no problem wearing a shirt representing my faith in Christianity. I like to represent my hometown and former school in some clothing as well. This shows the value that I have for my city and respect where I came from. When I was in high school, I felt there was a push to dress like everyone else. There were kids who wore designer style jeans or shirts daily. For me, I never wanted to be that type of person and my dress was simple, but clean. I once bought a bright orange pair of Nikes on impulse. I probably wore these about 4 times and when my puppy chewed them up; I was really not that worried. I am fairly reserved and do not wear anything that is “loud”. I think this represents my belief in being humble. I am not a fan of individuals who feel the need to show off or present themselves in a snotty manner. Not to say people who dress with loud colors of clothing are snotty, but my clothing represents a personality. I do not have any piercings or tattoos. Personally, I do not believe males should have ear/nose/lip piercings. To me, these are feminine things and my choice to not have any piercings is reflective of that. I think for some males having a rock in their ear is “cool” and quite frankly they can pull it off. I have never had a desire to have this look. Also, I do not know of anything I would want permanently on my body. Yes, there are certain things that hold a great deal of value in my life. However, I do not need to display my personal values on my body. I have a few scars from surgery that tell a better story than a tattoo would. I occasionally let my facial hair grow out, but usually like to stay clean-shaven. There is a difference between having facial hair and being lazy about your grooming. My adornment has not changed hardly at all over the years and as I grow older my dress only changes as I wear age appropriate clothing.

My family’s beliefs are constructed around the Christian faith. This is communicated though certain ways that we dress. My sister and mother dress in a manner that is respectful of their bodies. Everyone in my family is free of tattoos and honors the body that God has given them. The men in my family dress in a way that is reflective of our personalities. We respect our bodies and present them in a way that is consistent with our faith. My family believes that you should not only respect yourself, but others as well. This is consistent with how we dress. My younger brother likes to dress flashier than the rest of my family. It is just his personality to dress in such a way. He is fairly humble, but likes to show off his style in a way that is different than the way I dress. I do not have anything against tattoos, but my parents are not fond of them at all. They believe that you should honor the body that God has given you and should be free of such things on your body. My mother and sister have ear piercings and do not have any piercings that may be out of the ordinary. My dad believes you should present yourself in a professional manner. Thus, he sets an example of dressing well and stay well groomed. My brother wears a necklace embellishing a cross representing his faith.

My peer community values athletics and representing yourself in a positive light. The belief is that you should go around carrying yourself in a respective manner. Tattoos that are highly visible such as a neck tattoo is something my peer community does not believe in. However, having a tattoo that you can have covered if needed is not seen as a big deal at all. My peers dress similarly in relation to our value of sports. We represent our school and sport though the clothes we wear. The dress wear shows that we value looking professional and believe that presenting yourself in such a manner is a positive thing. It shows you care about yourself.