Fashion

I heard this crazy rumor the other day. I heard that some of the fifth grade girls are worried about telling a particular classmate what they are wearing to graduation because they are afraid that this classmate won't approve. I call this a crazy rumor because it must be a joke, right? You aren't going to let somebody else's opinion of your clothes decide whether you should feel good or bad about the way you look, are you? Whether or not someone likes what you are wearing is simply a matter of opinion and everybody has, and is entitled to, their own. You just can't please everybody. So, when it comes to your clothes the only opinion that matters is your own (and your parents'). If you like it, wear it. Don't give in to peer pressure. This is just another form of bullying.

One of the biggest self-esteem issues girls and women face is that of body image. Please, please, please avoid that trap. The trap is letting other people's opinion of how you look affect the way you feel about yourself. You are way too young to worry about this. Other peoples' opinion of how you look should have nothing to do with how you feel about yourself.

The clothes you wear can, in fact, say something about who you are. You are free to be who you want to be. Your clothes can be a way to express yourself. Don't let some classmate's opinion choose your clothes for you, and especially, don't feel bad if they don't approve.

Do you know who Diablo Cody is? One night last month, she showed up for this big party for which attendees spent thousands and thousands of dollars on their designer gowns and tuxedos. Cody didn't. In the middle of the party, Cody had to go on stage in front of these expensively dressed glamourous people in a gaudy dress that was so short that she had to hold it down while walking to the stage. She had a tattoo on one shoulder. She looked totally out of place, but she was proud. That's because the party was for the Academy Awards and she was onstage because she had just won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Juno. Do you think that she would have become a great writer if she had given in to peer pressure? Doubtful.


One final thought. Do you know the real reason that clothing styles change every season? It's the same reason that there are always new cel phones, cars, ipod colors, webkinz and anything else that people buy. It is simply a way to get people to spend more money. Manufacturers and their advertisers make buyers feel like to have to have the latest thing.

We don't really need new clothes every season, so clothing makers come out with new colors or fabrics or styles then make us think we need them lest we go out of style. It's a scam.