Standing Out - Topic of the day 8/16/24
The idea of 'standing out' through ones clothing choices is a potentially contentious one, so let's try to hash it out. How do you feel about standing out through clothing? Are there different degrees of standing out that are more or less 'acceptable'? Is it an intentional choice, or can it be the result of circumstance?
52 Replies
hopefully standing out in a positive way
but I think a great outfit reflects ones personality and mood, and some people want to stick out and some people do not... nothing wrong in either case (granted the situation is not wildly inappropriate)
I enjoy standing out and don’t have a problem with it. I think part of that stems from being a performer, and part of it from being an only child. I like being noticed and I like people to know when I walk into a room. That said, this vibe has backfired on me before lol
real talk, i (a black man in a majority non-black area) will stand out in general and especially since i often wear things that run contrary to the expected mode of dress
for me part of wearing what i like means accepting that i will stand out regardless AND that i like cool things that aren't necessarily standard in general (much less for black people)
I like standing out sometimes, but standing out too much for me doesn’t feel nice because of my personality. Also, from zeometers comment above. As a brown person i also tend to stand out and notice stares when i make an effort to dress well
i think part of this comes to intention; trying to dress in a way to generate a specific reaction is different from unintentionally getting a reaction
eg a let's go brandon shirt vs wearing a red cap
Yes, you’re right
This is such a good metaphor lol
i had to google the references
As long as you aren't breaking dress code, standing out means you're doing something right imo
even dress codes need context
some dress codes are dumb as explained at length here https://discord.com/channels/1116793467654381685/1262076143973175418
Standing up is positive because its a sign that someone is engaged and thoughtful about something
It’s natural
It’s a non verbal form of communication that’s effective in its own right
I love standing out
I'm important and like dressing with the intent that I am simple as
One super negative aspect related to standing out is the recent trend on social media (not pervasive but still present) of saying someone has NPC style when they do not stand out. I hate that it’s so incredibly rude
Hmmm
It is rude
if someone says that to me they need to be buying me new clothes or else i don't care
criticism without any sort of means to remedy it is just being a hater
I just don’t think it’s even criticism that necessary needs remedy unless asked for… there is really nothing wrong with dressing boring if that’s what you like
they might just be staring because you look good
It’s very rare that I’ve ever seen a fit on here that I wouldn’t notice yknow
Like every fit would stand out to me. Being into fashion to the level of joining a damn discord to talk about means u care about ur clothes more than most people and I think that level of care makes people stand out
Maybe this is less true in fashion hub cities of course but
I notice them and I notice some outfits are bad
But that doesn’t describe someone’s character
Unless it’s like bad bad like a trump hat
Yeah I would say that’s not my taste but I think being in the cities I’ve been in anyway who’s like visibly into clothes also catches my eye
I can tell when someone knows how to dress immediately lol
Even if they’re trying to blend in
Even the most basic mafd fits would stand out a ton almost everywhere
It’s mostly shoe choice
I disagree
I don't think I've seen someone wear OG-107s irl ever
I don’t think OG-107s are that distinct from regular olive green chinos in fits irl
yeah idk i'm prolly just being over dramatic about it but I find most folks just don't put ~any thought into how they dress
That’s fair
I mean I’ll notice it but I doubt many people will notice someone’s wearing green fatigues vs regular cargos/chinos
Standing out rocks
A goal of mine
I love standing out, but I don’t always dress to do so intentionally. However the level of swag for men in the PNW is so abysmal that sometimes my most boring fit will get attention
If anything i want to stand out more. I feel like I have drifted too far into the traditional and something is still missing.
Cant wait to whip out my cinnamon corduroy suit in f/w lol
For sure, I just wanted to write something brief. I guess the essence of what I was getting at was to show respect at events that deserve it (like funerals and weddings).
If my friends aren’t competing to be the flyest mfs at my funeral they don’t love me
Why is this a gif lmao
Imma haunt my most dripless homies
i mean i'm kinda trying to stand out
making efforts to make my punk fits feel actually punk and not just like a vapid fashion statement
(integrating messages i believe in into things is almost definitely going to help, and that shirt i got at the art fair is a solid starting point)
Gonna tag @The Teenage Gentleman lol bc he def has thoughts and multiple articles on this lol
I feel like I stand out with clothing unless I go to NY
A lot of people have some nice fits
As long as I'm expressing myself I'm cool
i mean..i could spam the chat../s
sharing it anyway: https://alittlebitofrest.com/2022/05/22/being-okay-with-standing-out/
Ethan M. Wong
a little bit of rest
Why I’m Okay With Standing Out
This might end up being my Joker manifesto, but I promise you it comes from a good place!
but overall, standing out is more so a byproduct of being into clothing rather than something i intentionally invoke.
i also dont think its good to overly avoid it, unless you have some sort of social outcome you are intending. But even then, that sounds rough and too much work to do
basically this
I'm drawn more to menswear than womenswear because on the whole it is simpler and unadorned. It's not that I'm specifically trying to dress in a masculine way but what I like happens to be coded masculine in most societies. Simply being a woman dressing 'like a man' means I stand out in most places. I would have to go out of my way and change my own taste to dress like a stereotypical woman and thereby fit in.
Something I find odious is that so many conservative people think I'm trying so hard to be quirky just because I don't have long hair and don't dress in stereotypical womenswear.
Other than that, I don't think I stand out; my one somewhat original accessory is my pair of glasses, and then there's my hair. Even the glasses I am now trying to replace with something more unassuming, as it happens.
At this point in my style i swing steadily between seasons of wanting to be more expressive and wanting to be more understated. It used to be more important to my self expression to look different, but now I put a lot more value is subtly and dressing harmoniously. I think it’s a cool challenge to make louder pieces feel integrated into a sensible look, still trying to find my sweet spot.
I wonder if there are specific occasions/contexts in which people here prefer to stand out? Like special occasions (where I would prefer to fit in/dress like others), weekends, dates etc
Stand out as opposed to merely dressing more formally
If I'm not making someone reconsider their relationship then what's the point of getting dressed
ig if there's a difference I'd prefer to be memorable than stand out. Idk if yall feel like there's a difference but I do.
i feel you
but id argue to be truly memorable requires standing out
its like, the next tier
it's prob just personal bias coloring my definition cuz "standing out" has had more negative connotations than positive in regards to fashion for me. Like there are a handful of fits that were memorable to me because they stood out (derogatory) lmao
I think anyone who's put a lot of thought into their outfit stands out somewhat from the majority, who tend not to put so much stock in clothing
loud outfits are something else
Unfortunately this encapsulates perfectly my desire to stand out and simultaneously how I feel when I stand out
I have a job where going into the office is very optional, and I sometimes need to go to events and meetings. Since I work from home so often — usually in a T-shirt and shorts — I feel like if I'm going through the trouble of going out I'd better nail my outfit and get noticed for how great it is. Otherwise what's even the point of being into fashion.
There’s standing out because your outfit is well put-together and looks fantastic (but isn’t ‘odd’ in any way), standing out with an odd/unexpected/loud/non-conformist/daring outfit, and standing out because you look both odd and fantastic.