Personal Aesthetic

Tonight I’ve been reflecting on my outward style. Aesthetics is something I’ve developed a growing interest in over the past couple years, but my style of dress hasn’t changed as rapidly as most other aspects of my life have. Gala challenged us t look at how we communicate through clothing in “What Does Your Clothing Say About You?” at the end of February and this sparked my look at how skillfully I do this.

So what do I wear? Most days during colder seasons it’s black jeans, black socks, a black or dark shirt, my black trench coat or jean jacket and a pair of boots. When it’s warmer I’m often wearing Thai fisherman’s pants and sandals. I throw in cuffs, bracelets and necklaces here and there. My clothing is primarily black, an unalterable aspect of my personal style. Having that constant base is something I very much appreciate, even as I retire some pieces of my wardrobe.

How well am I projecting myself, though? From my shirts you might be able to discern that I love integral, enjoy interfaith communion, have a soft spot for mystic scientists, hurt more (but am bothered less), am a headphone junkie, and am prepared for sacrifice. Or maybe I just really dig Threadless. What you’d take from the rest I don’t know.

No matter the level of skill I’ve used to create my wardrobe, I’m very interested in reinventing it. A lot of my choices have been utilitarian (I’d joke that black was chosen so I would not also need to wash a load of white laundry and so that I could pick out clothes and be sure they’d match, even in the dark), and I do weigh comfort and utility high still, but I want to be conscious of how I shape my image to best engage others in my appearance. Just as I want to play with my identity in other ways, to eliminate the boundaries of it, I want to craft an appearance that is nuanced and open while being a transparent expression of my clearest sense of self.

So the puzzle I’m left with is the creation of a fresh, comfortable and clear real style.

The image accompanying this entry is a work by my dear friend Ashley.

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