The (less than) Fashionable Me

You would probably consider me a pretty straight-edged guy. I wouldn’t disagree.

I don’t dress in high fashion or have a pair of jeans that costs $70. In fact, I paid $34 for my newest pair of jeans and I searched four different stores in Virginia just to find the cheapest pair. My hair is natural and I stopped putting gel in it when I was in seventh grade.

The truth is that I like a Wake Forest t-shirt and a pair of versatile shoes. I don’t need a designer label or a “look” to make me feel comfortable in the midst of a crowd. I am me and that’s fine with me.

But, walking around Europe, I do notice that I am out of place. Granted, I am usually carrying a camera and a backpack and thus my outfit screams “tourist”, but nevertheless, no one dresses like me over here.

When I lived in Chile, it was the same way too.

People wear tighter jeans, graphic tees, and these shoes that I can’t even begin to describe (some sort of hybrid between Converse, tennis shoe, and loafer). Often, guys wear a scarf over their grungy (by design) sweaters and sport sunglasses that are entirely too large.

I walk by them, inhale their cigarette smoke, and feel slightly out of place.

Now, I do care about personal appearance and I do like to look “nice”. But, given the choice between a new trendy jacket that isn’t waterproof, windproof, and lacks an avalanche beacon, I’ll choose saving the 150 bucks and book a flight to Croatia for an upcoming weekend.