Why Style Matters

By Olin Bradley

The modern world is filled to the brim with all manners of short lived trends, standouts, and other attempts to look “different,” “modern,” or “fashionable.”  From buildings to cars to media and everything in between, most of which are massive industries that the individual has practically no influence over, little has been spared from this depreciating trend.  Most simply comply and suffer through the soulless, low quality, and depressing designs that dominate the modern world.  Not because they are good, but because of their cheapness, convenience, and marketing.  Modern fashion and style is no exception to this phenomena. But unlike some of the aforementioned examples, style is one of the best things that the individual can in fact decide entirely for themselves.  

It is not elitist to say that the quality of modern clothing has declined significantly in recent decades.  Natural fibres such as wool and cotton have been replaced by synthetics like rayon, viscose, and polyester, which are less comfortable, don’t last, pollute the environment, and are ultimately less cost-effective.  Most consumers today buy their goods from the factory worker rather than the craftsman, and quality standards have plummeted as a result. The clothing industry is dominated by mass production chains that incessantly advertise objectively bad-quality products.  Their marketing is based on selling you dozens of cheap T-shirts or other garments with this week’s hottest design printed on it, which will probably fall apart and be discarded in a few years, months, or even weeks, forcing you to buy another one - rinse and repeat.  On the other hand, buying a quality made and timelessly stylish dress shirt for a hundred dollars (or far less if you buy pre-owned) can last you one or even several decades.

However, most consumers don’t seem to mind modern fashion; in fact many prefer it. They do not prefer it because it’s better, but because it appears cheaper and more convenient. Many don’t realize, though, that modern fashion’s cheapness is a cleverly disguised lie.  You’ll spend more money in your life buying trendy, low-quality, and nondurable shirts that you don’t need than if you had bought less shirts of substantially higher quality and style.  And even if it’s more expensive for you to buy nicer clothes, it’s still a far better investment due to the additional benefits and longevity of such garments.  As for what makes something high quality and timeless, one only has to look at what people were already wearing decades ago.

It takes more time and effort nowadays to build a classic wardrobe due to its increased scarcity, however it will instantly make you stand out from the crowd in a positive way.  Dressing well is more than just a personal statement; it often has real tangible benefits on how other people perceive you.  First impressions are important, and being sharply dressed for all occasions is an easy way to improve this.  It boosts not only your confidence, but potentially your employment opportunities and the many other knock on effects that come from how others perceive you.  Keep in mind however that this is not to say that your clothing can change your personality.  Style is good, but character is better; having a good character will almost always be important than what you wear.  But when you combine the two, the benefits can be significant.  In short, putting that extra effort and care into your appearance, in addition to being a good person, will pay dividends.  Don’t be afraid to dress up even at a young age, for there are no negatives and plenty of positives that will increase your confidence and opportunities.