Fashion Statement: What I wear is what I am!

Fashion, according to Pauline Weston Thomas, is a free form of speech. But is this really true? Judging from my experience, I think I can agree that what we wear sends a message to other people. In my life, I have many examples of how what I wear makes me who I am.

Roles/Wearing a uniform:

Back in Ateneo Grade School and Ateneo High School, we were required to wear a school uniform. It may seem that school uniforms only represent us being students. But it also shows what school we represent, in our case, the clothes showed everyone we were Ateneans and proud of it. It can also show ideals and values of the school like the blue color of the high school polo represents our dedication to the Virgin Mary.

Me being a high school student with my high school class

My hobbies:

I was a guy that never really cared much about fashion. But that doesn’t mean that what I put on doesn’t show how I feel or think about a day. There days that I want to wear something that shows what I like to do. Here are just some of those.

I have always been a big football fan ever since I watched the 2002 World Cup on the television. I know that I’m never going to be a football player but there are other ways to make me feel that I am and this is where clothes and accessories come in. I am a big fan of the Italian Football Club A.C. Milan and I’ve been always buying their jerseys every season. I started out buying fake jerseys but then I realized if I want to be more of a Milanista, I’d have to buy the original jerseys. Whenever I wear these clothes, I feel like I am a part of the club one way or another. And my feeling of being a player doesn’t just stop in football. For instance, when I have an important exam to take for the day, I wear my Milan football jerseys because when I do, I feel like putting on my ‘game face’ and conquering that test just like how my football idols conquer theirs night in and night out.

How I think I look like in an exam

Me wearing my jersey and scarf during a Milan game

My Milan jerseys

As I mentioned awhile ago, I know I’m not a good player so I decided that what I can be is to become the best fan I know. So also always wear my jerseys whenever I watch a game to give support even if the team will never know if I wear them. Besides that, I also have shoes and accessories like ballers.

My Milan ballers

Besides being a Milan fan, I’m first and foremost a FOOTBALL fan. So I also own jerseys from other teams. But I’m actually more proud of collecting scarves of football clubs and national teams.

My collection of football scarves

Aside from football, I am also a comic book fan. This all started when I wore a Thor costume. I internalized being Thor and I had a really fun time with it. So besides having a costume of Thor, I also have a Thor shirt. I wear it everytime I feel good or I felt like I want to read more comics or everytime Marvel announces something big about their movies. It allows me to let out the geeky side of my personality and I don’t really care how people think about it, as long as they get the message that I love comics and I am THOR (for that day at least).

How I felt I looked like.

How I really looked like.

I also love travelling. So I always make sure that everytime we go abroad, I get a shirt from that country. It makes me remember the places I went to and the experiences that I had.

Just a few of my souvenir shirts

Shirts with messages:

Besides hobbies, I also have shirts that have text on them because of something I want to convey or show support for. Sometimes I also feel some sense of pride or the occasion is right like when I wear org shirts during org events and school shirts during games. Below are some examples of these shirts wearing them because of the occasion.

Conclusion:

So I have been able to show how I show people a part of who I am through what I wear. I may not be a fashionable guy (I still ask help from mom and sister for what clothes should I wear or buy), but I still use fashion to convey my thoughts and feelings, and as well as what my role is (like being a high school student, but I don’t wear it anymore since, well, I’m in college already). I do hope that people see fashion not just to show off if you have money, but also to show things you want people to see about you and the things that you care for. Remember, the clothes don’t make the man, it’s the man that makes the clothes.

Source used: The Semiotics of Fashion by Pauline Weston Thomas

http://www.sgsbo.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Alessandro-Nesta.jpg (for the football player (Nesta) image)

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/10/108927/2083825-thor.jpg (for the Thor image)