Weatherford High is recognized town-wide for various reasons, from its hard working Fightin’ Roo Band to it’s talented volleyball team. It’s a school that works hard for what it wants when it comes to it’s a ray of programs and forms of expression, but there’s one thing about the school that can be easily overlooked and can really make an impact on each student’s high school experience and even beyond: Individualism, specifically when it comes to fashion.
When looking around the halls, there’s a consistent pattern. Hoodies, jeans, sneakers. Shirt basketball shorts, sneakers. Shirt, jeans, sandals, sneakers. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with dressing comfortably or similarly to peers if that’s what that individual feels best in (and let’s be honest, that’s almost all you can wear considering our new dress code rules; no shoulderless shirts, fingertip length shorts, etc.), however, it becomes an issue when students who do try to express themselves via fashion get ridiculed for it because it’s simply “out of the norm.” It becomes an issue when doubt looms over a student’s head for simply wondering what other people think about them as soon as they step foot into the building. It becomes an issue when those students choose to dress “normally” because they feel that it’ll make them blend in with everyone else or that it’s a one way ticket into a certain clique.
Though some may not think of fashion as nothing more than the clothes they put on their back or matching a t shirt with shoes, for some it’s an art; something they desire to dedicate their lives to and are truly passionate about. For others, it’s a way to outwardly show their quirks and personality traits.
Take New York Fashion Week, for example. When one sees the flashy couture down the runway, they typically wonder, “Who would ever wear that?” Well, that was exactly the designer’s intention. Those who use fashion as an artistic expression want to make an impression on the audience, and the only way to do that is to challenge what exactly is deemed as normal within our society.
“I feel that fashion within the school community is vital because it allows you to express yourself through clothing, colors, and styles. It also allows people to gain a sense of confidence,” senior Lindsy Cedillo, president of the Fashion Club, said.
Fashion is a creative form of change, challenging society’s stereotypical beauty standards and rearranging it into something new and never before seen in an effort to show how fantastic being yourself can truly be. A single beauty standard constantly eating away into our lives is toxic to society and the individual, however, if we all appreciated everyone’s diverse styles and unique characteristics, we would be allowing room for us to grow as better people in general, one step at a time. And that’s why individualism is vital within our community, so that we, as Gen Z’ers, can initiate a more positive change in the world.