STYLE
From Issue #13
Fall Photoshoot: The Sound of Style
By Lori Saunders
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It doesn’t take much anymore to figure out what tunes are blasting on someone’s CD walkman. If we can’t hear the beat seeping out from under their head phones we need only check the front of their hoody, and if it says Triple Five Soul it’s probably safe to say they aren’t groovin to Good Charlotte or Avril Lavigne.

More than ever, we are what we wear and who we listen to. Okay, so we’ve heard a thousand times not to judge a book by its cover, but why not? Isn’t that the whole point of painstakingly putting our look together before hitting the street? So people know something about us before we ever say a word? What we wear and who we spin is a window into figuring out who we are.

Let’s see. If you’re sporting DC shoes and have Emerica plastered across your chest you’ve more than likely got a skateboard stashed in your Dakine knapsack and have Ozzy or Metallica downloaded on your desktop. You’re not a fan of corporate America and would rather eat your studded belt than work in an office nine to five.

Or how about, if you’ve got a soft tan and brown velour J-Lo suit sitting way down low on your hips and hugging you just right, chances are you’ve got Nelly on the brain and 50 Cent in your wallet. You like your hair just right and would never be caught saying, “Oh my Gaaawd! I couldn’t wait to get the new Simple Plan CD. Pierre is sooo cute!” You like to play things smooth and you’re calm, cool and in control.

How you package the outside does give a peek as to what’s going on inside. Admittedly it doesn’t paint the full picture, but to those of you who get all bent out of shape if someone wants to stereotype you and lump you in with all the other like-dressed fashion divas, relax. It’s an honest mistake. But one you perpetuate because it’s usually based in reality. You’re probably into Baby Phat because you’re into hip-hop and urban culture or you’re Billabonged from head to toe because you love the surf/skate mentality and would love to live near a beach.

People often rely on visual cues to initially assess someone. These clothing clues help us figure out if our personalities might mesh, if our interests could be similar or even if our lifestyles are compatible. They help to make things easier when we’re trying to figure someone out. It’s like a trailer to a movie, it gives you a heads up on what to expect: is this going to be a thriller or a comedy. And understandably people can want their money back or throw popcorn at the screen if they think they’re buying into a fast-paced action flick and get suckered into a three-hour tissue fest.

The point is, how you dress is how you’ll be judged. It’s human nature. Right or wrong. Like it or not. So don’t be messing with people’s minds by strutting by in Roca Wear and then slapping $15 dollars down to buy the latest Blink 182. That’s not fair.

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Hip hop threesome: Vicky, Julie and Ryan
Pop Girls: Sara Cauchon and Joy Olimpo, hosts of YTV show GirlzTV
Punk: Maya Chendke from Faze and Migs

Clothes for the Punk scene provided by West 49

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