“Is this what you’re wearing?” My friend asked, not even trying to mask her irritation.
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing? It’s not pretty?”
“I mean it’s pretty, if you were going the store up front.”
I chuckled, “But we’re going to the mall. What’s the difference?”
“The difference is,” she started but changed her mind and tsked. “Let’s just go. Can’t change our plans anyway.”
Now, it may be already clear to a lot of us why I brought in this conversation. It happened quite a while ago since I’ve not gone out in that long but the reason I remember this conversation is because it’s not the first time I’ve heard statements like these, from different friends. Mostly ending up with how my friend ended it above or with remarks like, “I honestly don’t know if you’re part of this era.”
To clear the air, I don’t dress shabby, at all. I like to think I clean up quite nicely judging from the catcalls, even though that in itself is not a measure of whether I look good or not. I have a mirror. I have family that whether I like it or not, have to voice their opinions on what I wear though they don’t outrightly emphasize their lofty dressing ideas. But all that is just to say, you couldn't possibly call me shabby with what I wear. It's not just the regular outing clothes.
I’m very much an indoor girl. So, I don’t have a lot of pictures of me going out but my comfort-based dressing stems from there. I own a lot of large blouses/shirts. Either those that were originally large since that’s more my style or those that I’ve had for so long, it’s stretched considerably and is now stopping at my mid-thigh. I prefer it way more to two-piece pyjamas or any of the other conventional nightwear.
So, I’d simply drape on my trusty shirts and be guaranteed a good night's rest. And of course, during the day, that’s the same attire. Loose cotton blouses that would let all the breeze waft through me. A lot of my folks guarantee that my tastes both in nightwear and indoor wear would change in time but I find that hard to accept cause if we’re to wear stuffy clothes outside, why would we deprive ourselves of comfort clothes when we’re indoors? Doesn’t make a lot of sense to constantly play dress up. Unless, of course, that’s what you find comfort in which is okay if you have your good reasons for it.
Moving on to my outdoor wear, I said already that I’m not the outing type and could remain indoors forever but of course, that’s not possible, if not for the sake of emergencies, at least, to connect with other humans so you won’t lose your mind.
In that event, my go-to attire is as follows, my large shirts(the presentable ones this time) or blouses that are not too huggy because the sun could practically scorch sometimes and the last thing you need is clothes sticking to you like a glove. Then I usually wear sandals for the most part or these fitting Crocs that I invested in a couple of months ago. The thing is, this has always been my favourite kind of outfit way before the whole Gen Z baggy clothes flex came alive so it’s not a trend for me, it’s me simply wearing what gives me comfort.
The big question, “What about occasions, events, and important functions, would you still wear these?” And the answer is simple. A lot of people make life harder than it should be. You can meet what’s expected for a particular event and still be in comfort. So, I’m going for a job interview, I wear a good cotton suit that isn’t tight but fits my frame just right and leaves me comfortable and confident.
I don’t like calling attention to myself for mundane things. But I like to believe that if you wear what suits you and what brings you comfort and elegance, it’s way more attractive than fumbling over your clothes and calling the wrong kind of attention because you are trying to stand out.
All in all, the kind of clothes I wear suits my minimalist lifestyle simply because I don’t have to keep up with what’s trending hence my pocket is saved. I don’t throw clothes away easily and still find comfort in them no matter how old they are. So, I’m able to maintain my style and still appear chic and confident and that certainly works for me.
Jhymi🖤
All images are mine.