The Shock Factor

I remember exactly when and why I fell in love with fashion. In about fifth or sixth grade, I started to feel like I would never be able to worm my way out of the label everyone had placed on me..."The Shy Girl." Ugh! Everyday, someone, a teacher, a friend, whoever, would be describing me or perhaps defending me saying things like "Oh she's just shy," or " Ashley? She's really nice and sweet, but she's super quiet." Argh! I wanted to rip my hair out! It was like there was nothing more to me then shy. I wasn't a person, I certainly wasn't interesting. No one bothered (sans my friends) to look past that, to try to get to know me and my insanely lame sense of humor. No one cared that I loved books, or that I was a good listener, or that I liked to write and do arts and crafts. So that's when I decided. I would give them something to talk about. Something to make them see me for me. I would wear my personality on my sleave, (literally...hehehe punny). I started small. I'd wear my favorite charm bracelet, or a colorful clip in my hair. Then it got bigger. On non-uniform days I'd wear a spastic-looking purple scrunchie, or I'd spray my hair blue (much to the dismay of my teachers.) And I'd get complements. And it was nice to know people saw that I actually had a personality. But after awhile, I started to like fashion more and more, just for the fashion. No strings attached. I'd see a pair of shoes and I'd think they were cute, and I'd wear them to school for no other reason than that I liked them. From then on, it was less about the shock factor and more about what I liked and what I wanted. If I wanted those guitar earrings because they reminded me of my favorite band, then I'd get them. If I liked that leather jacket and that pink skirt, I'd get them. Heck I'd wear them together! If someone thought that I looked stupid, or if they payed no mind to me at all, I wouldn't really care. Fashion was suddenly a lot less stressful, and a lot more fun.

To this day, I still shock. Which, sometimes, is hilarious, especially since my fashion sense is a lot like my personality...random, fascinating, and confusing. But I honestly could care less whether on not anyone acknowledges what shoes I'm wearing or the color of my nail polish. I straightened my hair because I wanted to. Case closed. I wear my leather boots and white, fluffy sweaters with pride, fashion taboos be damned. It makes my life just that much more fun (though with my family and friends, it's pretty freaking crazy to begin with.)

http://www.lostateminor.com/2009/08/11/trash-fashion/