40 year olds, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s…Who decides fashionable etiquette? It must be the “they say” committee. Have you ever met “them.” I don’t know who “they” are but “they” seem to be everywhere and in every community “their” rules can be different and subject to the interpretation of the established queens of the area.
The world of fashion is ever changing. Some countries and communities accept and praise specific trends while others reject them. Fashion can simply be used for functionality or it can be an incredible means of personal creative self-expression…..neither is wrong or right.
“Attitude is everything.” —— Diane Von Fustenberg
Sure, what we wear can have a positive or a negative effect on a variety of things professionally and personally. There are reasons why we conform and sometimes this is virtually necessary in order to get to positions that we desire or until we are well-established. We may even consider that if there is a written dress code for an optional event then maybe we are agreeing to the dress code by attending, but there is still always an interpretive “committee” deciding if the attire was “acceptable.”
When stepping outside of the attire expected then WE ARE taking a risk, but doesn’t that weed out those that I may actually enjoy to spend time with versus those that are more of a chore (haha).
At what point in our lives does this no longer matter? The point at which we decide. When making a decision of what we are going to wear, we may be deciding if we care (haha).
“Fashion should be a form of escapism and not a form of imprisonment.” — Alexander McQueen
Judging others? My brain just doesn’t have the interest in thinking about your clothing unless I like it.
Me personally? For an event, I usually want to know what the expected attire will be and then I’ll decide if I want to conform or not. I have to feel like “me” and, for me, that can change based on the event, venue, my role in said activity, the weather, etc..
So if Pooh Bear can wear a crop top so can I. Do we want to? That depends but the key is “WE CAN.”