Lifestyle

Why Following Fashion Trends Doesn't Mean You Aren't An Individual

by Zoheb Khalil
Shutterstock

In today's day and age, image is everything. The way a person presents him or herself can change another's perception of him or her. However, sometimes, this means that a person will begin to dress for another's approval instead of his or her own.

As a men's fashion blogger, I look for current trends and incorporate some into my own style for my readers.

Influences

A big influence in all our lives comes from celebrities and social media. The way a celebrity wears a piece of clothing can lead to many others wearing it the same way.

Celebrities always have to look good, and they all seem to have a general theme in terms of dress sense. However, they are individuals too.

I remember the time I saw Justin Timberlake wearing a nice tux during a performance. At the time, I just had to see what a similar style would look like on me. I needed to know if I could rock a dressier look.

Influences can also come in the form of our friends and family. Your friend group might all like an emerging trend that you don't. But you'll follow this trend because you don't want to be the odd one out.

Good Points

The pressure to dress well is not necessarily bad. It is often said that first impressions count. A well-dressed man will always leave a better impression than one who isn't dressed as well. For example, if you turn up to a social event in joggers and a t-shirt, you will feel out of place. As a result, you will not be as outgoing. However, if you dress in a suit, you will feel confident within yourself and interact more with others.

It is common knowledge that if you are dressed well, you feel better. The world is your oyster, and you can take any opportunity that comes your way.

Bad Points

Remember that you shouldn't have to wear something that you are not comfortable with. For example, I wouldn't wear jeans that have rips all the way down the leg.

This doesn't mean I don't like them: It just means I don't think they fit my style.

The pressure to look good all the time is very common. The trick is not to give into a style of dressing you aren't fond of.

I think fashion is ever-changing. People often take style inspiration every day. Personally, I love to mix my outfits up and see how they look. If they work, great: I have a new look I can wear. If not, I can just try again and take it from there.

Guys often don't really care about their appearance as much as women do. They won't attempt to look the best they can just because it's not normal for guys to be over-conscious about their whole looks. However, it's just as important for us to make sure we maintain ourselves appropriately, so that we do feel good about ourselves.

People change the way they dress, just as they change the way they are as individuals. We often go through different phases in our lives.

In my opinion, we should all dress how we want, when we want and for whoever we want. However, you should never feel pressured to look like a certain person. Instead, you should always be yourself.

The key to looking good is being confident with yourself. There have been some outfits on my blog that I've not been 100 percent sure of, but I've posted them because I liked wearing them. I wanted to show everyone my personality through my dress sense. Everyone should take this approach to feel confident in his or her clothing.

Try that new shirt on, or go for a different pair of shoes. Make it work, but more importantly, make it completely your own by wearing combinations no one else has worn.

Not sure it looks good? Look in the mirror and dare to be different.  As guys, we should take pride within ourselves and just be individuals, instead of conforming to fashion stereotypes.

Fashion is constantly changing. So, you should keep up with it by updating your wardrobe from time to time. Become your own trendsetter, and wear clothes the way you want to wear them.

Take inspiration and reflect that with the way you present yourself. Then, not will you be your own man, but you'll also be a man who can confidently go out into the street and be known for being himself.

Never be anything less than who you are.