I would say that the way I dress and my body adornments are express who I am but they do not give any major clues to my beliefs or values. My style is rather conservative and I do not have any tattoos. My ears are pierced once on each side and the jewelry I wear is very simple. All put together, I believe it reflects my personality and it represents that I come from a fairly conservative background. I went to Catholic schools from the time I was in Kindergarten until I graduated high school. I wore a conservative uniform until I was in eighth grade and I had a strict dress code in high school. Conservative clothing is what I feel most comfortable in because it was the only kind of clothing that I was allowed to wear while I was growing up. I wouldn’t say that my style or my lack of body adornments hint at my values or beliefs, but I would say that they give clues at how I was raised and my previous environments.
I have always modeled my style after my mom’s. She always looks put together and appropriate for the situation at hand. She knows how she wants the world to see her and she always makes sure to look sophisticated and professional. This is something that I have tried to emulate over the years. It is undeniable that first impressions can make all the difference and although we try not to, all of us consciously or subconsciously make judgments of other people based on their appearances. The choices I make regarding my own style are always influenced by how I want others to see me. The most important thing that my mom taught me is to feel comfortable in the clothes that I wear. However, she also taught me that the clothes you wear are a superficial representation of what you are capable of and who you are.
Over the years, my style has gone through minor changes, especially when I came to college and no longer had a strict dress code to obey. Nevertheless, even without a dress code, I have still maintained who I am. My previous experiences have made it so that I will always feel more comfortable in more conservative clothing. I believe that this is a testament to my beliefs and values remaining consistent. I will never get a tattoo and I will never get another piercing. These are things that will absolutely never change. I have never thought either of these are bad or immoral, but I am content at how I present myself to the world without them. I don’t feel the need to add any body adornments simply to portray who I am to the people around me.
Even though my friends and I all have somewhat different styles, I relate to them and I respect their choices. Some of my friends have small tattoos and most of them have more than one piercing. These all give clues to their backgrounds as well. For example, one of my friends has a tattoo of a childhood friend that died last year. She got it in memory of him. My other friends with more piercings tend to have a more carefree attitude towards their style and the way they portray themselves to the world. I believe it is important to surround myself with people who have different values and show them through the way they dress and their body adornments. My own style has changed in minor ways because of their influences.
In regards to my peers at the university, I am always intrigued by other people’s appearances. Pieces of clothing or jewelry, and even tattoos usually tell a story. I am always interested to see the way that different people present themselves in different situations such as class, work, the library, or in a social setting. These presentations are difficult to generalize, but easy to see on each individual.