fuck me clothes versus fuck you clothes means that you have two options: you can dress to please others or you can dress to please yourself.
most people prefer being part of a tribe. it has many advantages besides being safe. and fashion’s ever changing trends are the modern answer to tribe insignia. are you rich? show it off with hermes and chanel. are you alternative? converse and eco brands are there for you. professionals go for suits and shiny shoes. edgy fashionista have rick owens leather jackets and the must haves of the moment.
unfortunately, it goes well beyond your outfit. you should have a certain height, weight and hair length. and the expectations are rather detailed. some of them are the signs of a great consumer: you need the latest and most expensive of what you can afford.
remember! this complicated standard is supposed to present other people with a complex mask of success. if you decide this is the way for you, i have good news: you can actually buy some of that credibility for yourself. and don’t worry: most people will never know there is even a difference between being and appearing to be!
oh, and then there’s the gender stereotype thing: western society expects women to look and act as objects of desire. we must wear skirts and show our body lines in one way or the other. if you’re a woman, the way to relevance is paved with tits and ass. whether you’re a singer or an actress, but even if you’re a politician or a writer, to get people’s attention you need to be sexually attractive and available. unfortunately, things are starting to be the same for men, so…there’s no country for unattractive people. especially if those people are women.
but somewhere apart from all these groups and their uniforms, there is a sparse group of outcasts. they care little about fashion and even less about society’s acceptance. they have their own personal set of organic rules and references.
i have a few random examples and i’m sure you can come up with many more.
artist patti smith, pictured with cosmic sister and antwerp six designer ann demeulemeester
south korean actor bae jung nam
dresden dolls singer amanda palmer 
hip hop prince andre 3000
stylist george cortina
gender bending artist grayson perry
punk legend nina hagen
latex personality pandemonia
and across the world, there are thousands and thousands more anonymous style geniuses. asia and especially japan, for instance, has a lot of kids that put a lot of energy and skill into their extraordinary outfits.
we can certainly not all be road openers. on the other hand, most people are really happy to just follow. there’s safety in numbers and in being part of that big club. still, the glory goes to the pioneers walking to the sound of their own drums. isn’t that a form of freedom?
it’s a big topic and i could use your feedback. meet you in the comments!?
photo credits: little aesthete, copyright owners
4 comments
Milka says:
Mar 14, 2014
It’s nice to see that someoeone remembers Patti Smith who has had unique personal style way before many many people of today’s fashion!
nice blog, count me as your new follower!
little aesthete says:
Mar 14, 2014
patti smith is one of the few worthy models for today’s young girls 🙂
thank you very much for following me! 🙂
Dave says:
Mar 14, 2014
Although I do not entirely agree with what you say, I like your writing style – punchy.
I’m not sure who was first: the chicken or the egg. I agree that women/men (mostly women) are expected to ‘sit down and look pretty’, but that doesn’t mean that women do not play this game also, meaning they use style in a certain way that it will get them attention, thus ‘climbing’ the ladder more easily.
Society as a whole is shallow, it doesn’t care, so it all depends on how YOU are, if you play or not by these rules. I believe if you’re good enough in what you do, your skills will speak for you.
little aesthete says:
Mar 14, 2014
i absolutely agree that women play the game to their own advantage. also, it’s true that it is up to you to make your own choices 🙂