And I thought choosing between two pairs of strappy sandals would be tough. Unfortunately for me, writing this first column has proved to be far more difficult.
I like to think of myself as a fashionable gal, but I knew that I couldn't dole out fashion advice until I figured out why I thought fashion was an important concept in the first place.
It was as I flipped through Saks Fifth Avenue's fall catalog and lazily watched my 8 millionth Sex and the City rerun that I realized why fashion has become one of my many obsessions.
Fashion is one of the most important ways in which we express our individual personalities and reflect our culture. It's not about wearing the trendiest clothing or buying the most expensive jewelry; it's about being who we are, with a little bit of decoration.
Picking out clothes isn't just a necessity for me. My vain hope is that my personality is somehow evident in the clothes I own.
Outfits aren't simply a combination of colors and fabrics to me; they're extensions of who I am. It's like letting people get to know me before I even meet them. They don't need to talk to me to know I'm fabulous. It's all in the outfit!
True, there's no way to escape the fact that there will always be someone else wearing the same accoutrements I'm sporting, but that is what's so lovely about the concept of fashion. It's how you put an outfit together that makes it your look.
In fact, Ohio University students prove this very phenomenon with their diverse fashion choices. I walk out my front door every day expecting to see someone else wearing something I own, and I usually do.
The important part is that the other people saw something in that particular clothing item that I didn't, and vice versa: a different color scheme to pair it with, a different type of accessory, a crazy bag or pair of shoes that I never would have thought of. And, somehow, it works, because they reflect their own tastes by putting the outfit puzzle pieces together in a different way.
Looking at my fellow students, I can almost imagine the kind of person that would wear each outfit. I sometimes feel like I can guess someone's story without even talking to them. They literally wear their personalities on their sleeves.
Fashion is also a marketing tool. If you take good care of yourself, it shows, and it attracts people to you. You can exude professionalism or sex appeal or anything else you choose according to how you decorate yourself, i.e. how you dress.
In addition to being an expression of our own personal styles, fashion is also an expression of our culture, good or bad.
Case in point: Once, many, many years ago -okay, fine, 1999 -yours truly donned some very unfortunate footwear to attend her high school homecoming dance.
Curious, are you? Remember when the Spice Girls brought back platform shoes...? Oh yes, that's right. Black. Platform. Mary Janes.
I know. It's such a heinous combination, I almost can't believe it existed, and I REALLY can't believe I'm admitting to wearing it! I'll ask you to please reserve judgment; I was a young impressionable high school freshman, and I'm sure you all have your own fashion horror stories too.
So, looking back, were the platforms a good idea? Of course not. Will I always remember that was the year of platform shoes, Spice Girls and being an *NSYNC groupie? Absolutely.
In fact, I almost can recall when particular events in my life took place depending on what fashion phase I was in. Like it or not, as we adorn our bodies, we make a testament to our culture. Whoever invented the toga should be very proud; it's still worn at college parties the world over.
So now that I've figured out why fashion is important enough to me that it's worth writing a column about, I guess it's my job to help you figure out how to use it. Although I'm often impressed by OU students' fashion senses, it doesn't mean a crash course isn't in order.
Fashion is one of those things that can be a great asset, but in the hands of the enemy (i.e. the unfashionable) it can be a complete disaster for all involved (i.e. the fashionable who have to witness such fashion travesties).
So dear readers, enjoy the next nine weeks; even if you learn nothing about fashion, you can always blackmail me with that tidbit about the platform Mary Janes.
-Erin Smith is a junior journalism major who actually did wear an argyle vest (and platform Mary Janes). If you want to ask her what she was thinking, send her an e-mail at es155503@ohiou.edu.
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Erin Smith
