If the Shoe Fits

Photo by: Rory M.

Like most freshmen, my (Rory's) transition from high school to college was challenging in more ways than just the academic. During that time, the fashion scene went from headbands, ballet flats, and cafe cardigans to beanies, combat boots, and horn-rimmed glasses. It sounds silly, but the change in fashion caught me by surprise and left me very stylistically disoriented.

After graduation, my mother surprised me with the best pair of shoes I'd ever seen. The vibrant, multicolored, designer high-tops were the most elaborate (and expensive) shoes I'd ever owned. They were my babies, and I coddled them. On one of the rare days that I decided to wear these shoes in public, I found that they were missing. After a panicked search, I asked my roommate if she had seen them. "Oh yes," she said. "I hid them." When I asked why, her reason was, "I didn't like looking at them because they are so ugly." I don't remember exactly what happened next, but it wasn't pretty. When it was all over, I had my shoes back, and my roommate had come up with nicer ways to express her opinion.

As the year went on, we would frequently shop together and would hardly ever find something that we both liked. It was kind of fun. Although we worked things out, I found that I was gradually changing my style to fit more of what my peers deemed acceptable. An evolving style is part of growing up, and it's pretty common to experience a fashion-overhaul during the college years. However, I found that I was rejecting my go-to preppy style because it "just didn't belong".

As the new school year approaches, I want to encourage new freshman and returning students, whether high school, college, or beyond (We never really stop being students, do we?), to be challenged and open-minded, but to stay true to what makes you feel your best. The truth is, your peers really aren't judging you as hard as you are. People may say it's stupid to care this much, but fashion is a method of expression. So express YOURSELF! And protect your shoes.

Rory