Don't Let Aesthetics Ruin Your Life
By Savannah Lewis
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Hello, my lovelies!
I’ve been thinking about this for a while now, and as much as I love a good aesthetic, I’ve noticed that people have been talking it to the extreme these past couple of months as people are starting to get back out in the workforce and schooling. People have a style that works for them, and they have an image they want to portray. I know I like the monochromatic look, especially in the winter, and in the summer I enjoy the Parisian style of silk slip dresses, floral dresses, and white blouses with cuffed jeans.
My style has changed multiple times growing up, and I’m sure it will change again. I just graduated with my undergrad, and I’m going into grad school, hopefully abroad in France. That is the goal, and I know that no matter what happens, whether I go there or stay in America, my style will change again.
Even though that is the style and aesthetic I try to present outwardly to people, I don’t restrict myself from wearing sweatpants in public or mixing colors when I find an outfit that I like. I also don’t let this style affect every aspect of my life.
There are a couple of different definitions of aesthetic, but the one we are going to focus on is from MyDictionary.com, and it states that an aesthetic is “an underlying principle, a set of principles, or a view often manifested by outward appearances or style of behavior.”
I’ve seen this pattern of people wanting to emulate the appearance of an aesthetic, but they don’t like the rest of it. I’ve seen people who like to dress in the style of light and dark academia and then force themselves to read books and enjoy school but don’t. I’ve seen people who like to dress in a grunge or street style then force themselves to listen to music they don’t like.
An aesthetic doesn’t need to take over your whole life; if anything, it might cause you to have a disdain for it because you will force yourself to do things you don’t want. Style and behavior are two different things; even in the definition of aesthetic, we have the word ‘or,’ which is an important thing. You can have a style and outward appearance of an aesthetic but not have to act on it.
It’s perfectly fine to dress in a style and not live that life. Remember, clothing at the end of the day is the same thing as a costume. You can dress like you are old money and not be old money. You can dress like you are a rocker and not be in a rock band or even listen to that music. Plenty of people’s appearance and behavior coalign with an aesthetic, but it should not be forced.
My message regarding aesthetics is the same message I end all my other posts about. Wear the clothes that feel good to you and that you are confident in, don’t do something or wear something that doesn’t make you feel good. Wear what you want, even if the aesthetic doesn’t match your life.
Let me know if you want a series about aesthetics, and I can research different aesthetics, the types of clothing that fit it and wear to shop for them. I’m going to try to write more. I was busy this summer like many other creators on this site. It was nice to be able to travel, see friends, and I had a fantastic internship that took up all my time. I’m going to continue the dress for your body type series because people enjoy that and I also am working on a piece on how to design suits for men being most of my writing is about women, and I’ve gotten a request for styling suits and different outfits for men.
We are going to end this year dressing for our best selves and putting a good foot forward to start all our adventures.