[fash-uhn]

I’m just gonna put it out there. I feel like I’ve began to notice something- fashion is in style. It sounds almost oxymoronic at first, but think about that phrase. I come from an area, and have grown up with girls whose idea of fashion largely revolved around the latest thing Urban Behaviour told them to wear. There was really no such thing as experimenting with fashion, and your highest ambition when it came to your garb was being able to buy all the sneakers your tight budget could afford. The fashion sense of the rich and elite was something you could admire from afar, but not necessarily emulate. People would throw in references to “Ver-sa-cee”, and similar iconic labels because their favourite rapper was throwing it around in a music video…

But, before I knew it there was a sudden emergence of chic, fashionably aware and “in the know” individuals. Think back a few years- I’m sure you can name one of those people. They would jock on dudes for still wearing long tee’s, or act absolutely repulsed when a chick threw on a pair of flared jeans (what, you didn’t hear that skinny jeans are here to stay?).

This movement quickly began to pick up. I noticed some of the ladies in my life taking hues from Lauren Conrad et posse from the Hills. With this growing trend of being fashion-conscience came the label-savvy crowd. They were the ones screaming “death to all who don’t wear Nudies”, and trying to convince their friends that those 6-inch stiletto heels were the only way to go.

I think back to their fashion influences- Rihanna brought the bob-haircut and rocker-chic style to the mainstream, and Jay-Z’s Rayband shades definitely had them selling out quickly. Even Lil Wayne was in on the hipster action, with his fedora hat and skinny jeans.

Now, I’m not trying to knock anyone’s fashion sense. I'm speaking as someone who couldn’t even name the top 5 hottest designers, or bear to spend $500 on a belt. My style reflects my attitude- laid back and easy to stomach, with a "fun" theme popping up now and then. You can bet my closet and dressers are staaacked with apparel, outerwear, shoes, handbags and accessories, but boy is it impossible for me to keep up with the ever-evolving idea of what is "cool" to wear. I can only try to understand that “fashion comes first” mentality.

I do know one thing though. Fashion is not, and can never be an arbitrary thing. There are fads, trends, and what’s “in style”. But everyone who truly understands fashion understands that fashion, at its basic art form and beyond, is simply what you can get away with expressing