Teachers always tell you to write about what makes you happy. Then, they hand you the assignment and, guess what, it is so boring and doesn’t make you happy at all. They tell you to use your own voice, but it can’t sound like a conversation. And this is the best; you’re not supposed to say “you” when you write! Now, how can I communicate with the reader using my own voice without saying “you”? I believe that it would be a dull writing piece if I said “we” and “us” the whole time. So, I’m going to break all those silly writing rules! And talk to you about what I like to talk about, not what the teachers tell me to talk about.

So, I have a disorder. It’s called, obsessed-with-matching-my-outfits disorder. You may think, “What’s the matter with that? You just like to match your outfits.” I take that to a whole new level. Yesterday, I even matched my earrings to my clothes for gym! I bet you’re starting to see the problem now. I have an outfit diary!! I keep track of all the outfits I wear, so that I rarely repeat and have a pretty good memory of my closet. You’re probably thinking, “Wow, that might just be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” But I do have a “method to my madness.

My motto is; you can look pretty without being pretty. You’re probably super confused by that, but just hear me out for a few minutes. I’m actually super insecure about my appearance. That’s pretty rare for someone who cares about their clothes as much as I do. Everyday, I wake up and think something along the lines of, “Wow, I don’t know anyone uglier than me.” Then I put on a good outfit and feel a little bit better about myself. I can’t believe I’m telling you all of this, but, as I’ve only just recently learned, everyone is insecure. I would rather have everyone know something embarrassing about me, than live my whole as a lie.

Just because an outfit looks super-cute (I’d say super freakin’ fabulous, but I think I’ve broken enough writing rules for one “essay”) doesn’t mean it’s super-pricey. I’m not saying you should go to cheap stores that sell tacky clothes that fall apart. But, you can buy chic and cheap clothes without sacrificing the quality. Most stores have a clearance section. If your just buying something basic (like an LBD or tee) then it doesn’t matter if its last season’s. The clearance racks are still your favorite brands, just more in your budget. Also, many big-name designers (like my personal fav, Marc Jacobs) have lines that are more affordable. Marc Jacob’s fashions have prices that aren’t so fabulous. His lines Marc by Marc Jacobs and Jacobs by Marc Jacobs have pretty decent prices. In the Marc Jacobs special items store in New York City, you can have a piece of the fabulous MJ for just five dollars!! “Are they knockoffs?” you’re wondering. No! You can get the real deal for just five dollars!

Now, that you own your fabulous wardrobe, you need to figure out what to do with it! A great rule to use is that you can wear fake as long as something is real. For example, if your wedding is diamonds (which I hope it is) then your earring can be fake diamonds but people will believe they’re real because your ring is. I believe that you should not do designers when you’re doing a spur-of-the-moment-wild+crazy-trend. You should only splurge on classics are pieces that you plan to still be wearing 3 years from now, if not longer. There is no point in busting your money on something you’ll wear twice before it goes out of style, unless, of course, you’re super-loaded like we all wish we were.

Here’s the part of the essay where I get to sound oh-so-snobby and get away with it (hopefully). I just hope you don’t hate me after reading it. Whenever I walk into a room, the first thing I notice is everyone’s outfits. Okay, I don’t sound too terrible, yet. Then I start thinking about how much I might loathe someone’s outfit and I feel all tense and have to fight the urge to make a nasty comment. Then I turn my focus to someone else who hopefully has better fashion sense. I go over, make a nice compliment, and I’m back on the plus side. (Bad comments: 0, good comments: 1)

You may think all I care about is clothes, which is so not true. Yes, I do really like clothes, but I have other passions, too! I play field hockey and lacrosse nearly everyday all year round. I also care about my grades. I actually did better than my sister’s best friend, who is 25, on the SATs! I also like writing a lot, which is why I’m already on my seventh paragraph! (I talk an awful lot which explains why I write so much) I believe that every life needs balance. That people should be well-rounded and appreciate diversity. You should be all jack-of-all trades, master-of-some. (And yes, I know it’s actually master of none) You should feel comfortable expressing yourself, which is really what fashion is all about.

Some people say that clothes don’t matter. That inner beauty is more important than outer. We all would like to think that people care more about what’s on the inside, but that’s pretty far from the truth. How you dress says a lot about you. If you wear cheaply-made clothes that never match, then you probably don’t care too much about yourself. You should respect your body, even if you don’t like it. I feel very strongly that fashion is the easiest and most effective way to express yourself. One great outfit can change the world! Okay, maybe that took it a little too far. But fashion can bring lives together!

I understand that this is not the deepest writing piece ever. Actually, it’s more like one of the shallowest. I have a great respect for those who think very deep thoughts all the time. But that’s just not who I am or who I want to be. I don’t mind focusing my mind on things that seem superficial. I often am very deep in shallow thoughts. However, it’s a two-way street! There are some very bright, wonderful, interesting people who no one would talk to because they look and dress so differently. Bad different, that is. So, I would just like to say thanks! For reading this whole essay. Even if you ended up hating every sentence of it.