The Girl Behind the Camera

Haley Adam

I was walking through campus the other day when a girl I had never seen before caught my attention. It wasn’t that she was super dressed up, or really put together. She was wearing your typical business suit, which made me think she probably had a presentation or something important along those lines. It was simple. Nothing bold about it. But when I looked down at the shoes she was wearing, a smile appeared on my face.

She was wearing the brightest yellow Van sneaks that I have ever seen, with sunflowers all over them. I don’t know if it was the contradiction between the professional suit to the amazing and fun shoes, but her outfit stuck with me all day.  It was pretty cool.

I have always been a true believer in the fact that people can tell a story through the clothes that they wear; that somehow, the clothes that you wear give a little piece of yourself to the world around you.

I have always said that it is what is on the inside that truly matters, and I will always stand by that. But freedom of expression through the clothes that you wear is something to be celebrated.

In a society where first impressions are everything, a question always arises whether or not appearance matters. It is almost definite that people make conclusions about who you are as a person based on what they see at first glance. I know I am guilty of it. Even the littlest details matter. The way you pair your shirt with your pants. If your nail polish is freshly touched up or if you are letting them take the course (guilty).

Evaluations of who you are, where you are going in life, and what you want to be are all made before you can even open your mouth and say hello. Its inevitable that people have become this way. But is it bad? I have always been a firm believer that people express who they are through their wardrobe. Maybe its not so bad that people make these impressions. It is just that there is so much more to learn.

Fashion has always been  medium for personal expression, and that is something that is truly incredible. Speaking from someone whose mood changes day to day, I am always dressing my feelings. I put my feelings on a runway and expect it to show.

If I wake up in the morning and I am feeling not so great, you better believe ill be sporting black head to toe. Too many colors might give me a headache. If I wake up and I am a huge bundle of sunshine, be ready. Neon colors, big bold necklaces, a bright smile on my face. Just like my personality fluctuates day to day, my style does the same.

I just think that style is a beautiful thing. To be able to express to someone who you are without giving too much away is a wonderful story in itself.

The amount of people blogging or telling stories through their fashion is just the beginning in explaining how fashion has become a huge vessel in freedom of expression, and expression through clothing.