On personal style and individuality

As Europeans take a deep breath from fashion weeks and such, the steady flow of photos depicting exquisite figurines in an assortment of attires and situations continues to flood the Internet. Although one can easily gaze at these inspiring pics for hours, absorbing each tiny and intricate detail, a certain critical thinking and self assurance, in a way, is advised. It’s one thing to draw inspiration; it’s quite another to blindly follow or praise everything portrayed there, or anywhere else for that matter. 

Take a long, scrutinous look at the batches of photos from Firenze, Milan or Paris…notice a pattern there? The opinion is unanimous: comments regarding “cloned” looks are all over the net. I believe there’s a better word for it - redundancy. And redundant is the last thing you want to be… Be it Prada wingtips, Cucinelli cargos or Givenchy rotweiller sweaters by the dozen, there seemed to be an overall lack of personality and individuality.

Obviously, this isn’t to say that those are not valid choices for many men and women who actually resonate with the brand and compose their style canvas in a unique way, but I can’t ignore the feeling that many others simply wear them so as to be on trend and achieve a sense of belonging. I’m not supporting the utopia of individual style, I’m not as naive or hypocritical, especially since I’m also influenced by a variety sources, hell we all are, it’s our human nature as social beings. However, as humans, we also have deep, complex personalities to whom we must stay true to…Draw inspiration, keep up with the latest trends, but do so while staying true to yourself. 

On this note, kudos to all who stood out amidst the crowd in their own way.