Hi everyone!
It’s been a busy couple of weeks but I have enjoyed ruminating on Angie’s prompt and have finally noted some stuff down about my own beliefs, values and personality. I hope you’ll enjoy reading this just as I have enjoyed your stories!

Beliefs

I believe that people will judge you by your appearance whether you like it or not. At the same time, I don’t personally believe that how you dress really reflects who you are. I have an example I find intriguing. Back in the day, Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine terrorized women all over by insisting that their lack of trying to dress well reflected a lack of self-esteem that had to be remedied. I recently read that Susannah Constantine is now a writer and a bit of a recluse, admitting to completely disregarding her own advice. She has lost all interest in fashion and dresses in fleece most days. I think given the
right circumstances, this could be me. Were society not obsessed with the notion that we must both conform and express our individuality through our clothing, I might be in fleece all the time as well (and at home, I admittedly am).

But I will generally try to work with reality, not against it. So for myself I
always look for the balance between wearing what I like and wearing what I think will make the right impression in a given situation. This has become so much a part of me that I no longer feel capable if I dress
sloppily in a situation that requires a polished outfit. So yes to Angie’s
enclothed cognition.

Values

I value independence and would say that is why I probably never look exactly right for any situation, even though before I stressed my pragmatic approach to conformity. In any outfit I still want to feel like myself. I have worn sack dresses when everyone was about figure flattery. Back in highschool when I noticed how much I didn’t fit in, I wore the minor trend of bowling shoes before I would ever have been caught dead in the much more trendy platforms. (Before noticing how I stood out, I wore leather low heeled booties! At age 13 in the nineties.).

Conscientiousness and loyalty are two more values that I was brought up with and that are very important to me. I think this manifests in the fact that I take rather good care of my clothing and that they are with me generally for longer periods of time. I also try to do my part in making more sustainable fashion choices.

Personality

I am an INTJ, so more of a big picture thinker with a methodic approach to wardrobe building. When I realized that style could be learned I applied my own analytical approach to it which had always served me well in academic settings. It’s made a world of difference and I no longer lament my lack of innate style compass. Everyone has their strengths; you just need to learn how to use them.

My introverted side comes through in my relatively safe fashion choices. I have my own preferences but they will not draw excessive attention. I do try to show some personality in subtle choices (pattern, texture, color combinations and cut). A minor part of the INTJ personality is about creativity and the five senses. I have learned that I enjoy creativity in many areas including clothes but that I must keep it light-hearted – no lofty goals or perfectionism. So I now see fashion as a fun creative outlet while always considering myself at the edge of whatever the fashion crowd is, merely playing at it.

Part of why I love this community are Angie’s mantras of DYOT and don’t let fashion boss you around. It gently nudges me back on the right path when I go into overdrive trying to find the perfect outfit (sartorially or to manage my appearance in a specific situation)!