Have you ever been getting ready in the morning and are stuck on what to wear? You feel like if you pick the wrong thing, it will be the end of the world. But why does an outfit feel so important? Why does it matter what you wear? That’s the question I’m trying to answer today. Fashion plays such an important role in my life, and by noticing what others wear and discovering my style, I have carved out a belief that I live by and see in everyday life. I believe in fashion.

Being an identical twin, I always found it hard to differentiate between my personal identity and my brother’s identity. This made me feel worthless, like I was just one piece of a two-person puzzle. I started asking myself, “Who is Oscie?” Even though I changed up my hairstyle and wore makeup, doing everything I could to make my physical appearance look different from my brother, people still came up to me and called me Auggie. What bothered me the most was when I corrected them, they said a quick “Sorry!” and ran away, not realizing that their words had left a great impact on me and made me question myself. To add insult to injury, me and my brother had (and still have) similar interests and personalities. So, whenever I pursued or found a new interest or hobby, Auggie followed quickly after me, excited to get in on the action. This made it even worse. And by then, I had tried almost everything. But then, I discovered fashion.

By pinpointing specific differences between my brother and I and incorporating them into my fashion, I was able to distinguish myself from Auggie. For example, at the time, I loved cats and Auggie loved dogs, something that made us different (finally!). So, a lot of my clothing at the time had cats on them or had “catty” elements, whether it was cat ears, cat pajamas, or shirts decorated with cats. Also, in another example, at one point, Auggie leaned into a darker aesthetic, so I pivoted and decided to incorporate bright and eye-catching colors into my outfits. And these are just a few examples of how I individualized myself through fashion. Even though some of my old fashion looks, even from recent years, are cringeworthy to me now, it was an important first step in finding my identity and making myself feel unique and different from my brother.

But my point isn’t really just about fashion, or clothing. It’s about identity and expression, and finding individuality through style. Personally, sometimes it’s hard to express myself; I feel confined to the stereotypes thrown at me because of the way I look or things about me that are out of my control. This is why fashion is so important, it lets you decide how you present yourself to others. It’s something about your appearance where you’re in the driver's seat, letting you express your identity without having to say a word to the people around you. No matter what you wear, whether it’s something that you just throw on in the morning, or a carefully curated outfit that you planned the night before, it should feel unique to you. A person is what they wear. That’s why there’s no such thing as “bad” fashion; fashion is a personal thing, a subjective thing, and everyone has a different opinion on what they think looks good on them. This matters because, in a world of trend-chasers and look-alikes, it’s important to carve out your own identity and make it feel like “you,” whatever that may be. You shouldn’t feel confined to one style or space, fashion is all about experimentation.

Nowadays, the media puts an emphasis on critiquing outfits and what people are wearing. This usually happens in well-respected fashion magazines like Elle or Vogue, and even in news outlets like the New York Times. This is not inherently bad, people are just giving their opinion on others outfits. But, what some people don’t take into consideration is that the people they are commenting on may have worked hard on their outfits, and they are putting themselves out there, not to just see what sticks, but to express themselves. And getting called out by hundreds of thousands of people about how their outfit is “bad” or “ugly” may not be the best thing for their self-esteem and may force them into not fully expressing themselves in the future. Even though I’m not one to shy away from critiquing a celebrity's or public figure’s outfit, I understand that that is just my opinion, and a person’s style is a person’s style. You should be free to wear whatever you want, regardless of what others think.

Fashion has helped me discover more about myself. What I like, what I dislike, and who I am as a person. That’s why this subject is so relevant to me. So, to anyone reading this, no matter how corny or cheesy it is, I just want to say to keep being your authentic self, whether it be through fashion or any other form of self expression. Don’t let what others say about you define you. You get to decide who you are. And that’s what fashion is all about, isn’t it?