By Julius Calasicas
Last year I wrote numerous editorials that pissed off some people and made others laugh. This year, I am proudly working for The Beacon, which means I canâ?TMt write in my antiquated sassy tone but must adhere to the ethics of a college press. But once in a while, I receive the distinct pleasure of letting go of my objective journalism and allow my words to either entertain, entice, or just flat out insult the institutionalized readers I call my peers.â?©So what opinion will I begin this school year with? What controversy needs my counter intuitive insight? No, dear readers, I will not subject you to anything traditionally newsworthy at my turn in the Opinions spotlight. I have opted against topics like religion, politics and marijuana reform laws if only for their drab content. Instead I shall speak of something often overlooked but as culturally important as art or neurosis. Iâ?TMm going to give you readers my two cents on fashion.â?©Now I shanâ?TMt be too critical about college wear when our workloads reduce us to sweats and underwear (hopefully not in that order), but there are times at school when I feel like Iâ?TMm too stylishly dressed and eccentric for peopleâ?TMs comfort. Then I remember the streets of downtown Portland where feeling weird and looking strange is actually a credit to this funky townâ?TMs society. Iâ?TMve come to the conclusion that I donâ?TMt give a flying faux pas if I stand out. Blending in is easy if youâ?TMre trying to avoid a carnivorous predator, but otherwise, I enjoy a little flare here and there. â?©The best part of living in this day and age is the fact that we have generations of styles and fashion behind us to inspire unique looks. I refuse to assume whatâ?TMs in and whatâ?TMs out of 21st century design, but I stress to students, please find your voice and donâ?TMt be shy to express your individuality. Clothing is only the decorative part of human aesthetics and should not be the primary concern of life. Yet an ability to conjure up an image that is in sync with your personality or mood is a talent that shows the world that creativity and innovation exists within you. A prepackaged look is easy to do, but so is frozen pizza. After a while, a hunger grows in the belly that a trip to Old Navy just canâ?TMt satisfy.â?©You donâ?TMt have to spend a lot or watch the Style Network or subscribe to magazines to look good. I found that a good way to dress fabulously in Portland is to just take the initiative and sport that saucy article that no â?oenormalâ?? person would even think of touching to their status-quo skin. Iâ?TMve seen folks in see-through mesh tops, arm warmers and vintage vests. â?©Of course, no one is really normal to begin with, so stop by Buffalo Exchange or The Red Light on Burnside and observe what other freaks are wearing in the city. Maybe go-go boots and fishnets werenâ?TMt as original as you previously thought because the goth girls turned it into a cliché last century. Who knows? The point is, learn how to look good by eliminating the fear that social norms created in the first place.â?©Now on to sex. No, not that kind, you pervert. Iâ?TMm talking about males and females. Iâ?TMm sure Iâ?TMm not overstating when I say that girls tend to care more about appearances and have a lot more clothes than boys. Boys just couldnâ?TMt care less. There are many exceptions to my generalization but if we are to be successful in coming off as attractive, Mr. Dude and Ms. Dame better have great personalities if baggy sweatshirts are considered romantic. Iâ?TMm starting to believe that only business majors go out on dates. â?©Both sexes can use my first tip to lead in to my second: Everyone has a masculine and a feminine side regardless of their sexual orientation. To deny that side of your personality limits the range of which you can approach a situation. The term â?oemetrosexualâ?? is a word emerging from a social urban development in males willing to address their grooming needs. As an avid homosexual, I find these types of straight males confusing for obvious reasons. They throw off my gaydar like Liza Minnelliâ?TMs husband. Females, on the other hand, have a better advantage. Girls are able to wear menâ?TMs clothes and accessories and still look sexy. A guy in a spaghetti strap may not be so well received, yet a girl in suspenders can make others smile. A sad double standard? Perhaps. But Iâ?TMll stick to my fedora and save the cocktail dress for Vegas.â?©Probably the most important advice I can offer when it comes to apparel is this: No matter what you wear, you must wear it with an attitude. If you donâ?TMt know what that means, youâ?TMre probably boring to begin with and need to start doing something fun, like bingo night at a retirement home. Letâ?TMs stop imitating the world around us, folks, and start enjoying its freedoms as nature intended. â?©I, for one, refuse to succumb to external expectations and utilize my college years and early twenties to get away with extremities that dried up stiffs would consider wild. If or when I do decide to settle down, my flair for life with still be chic, but perhaps Iâ?TMll leave the cocktail dress at home during PTA meetings.â?©Ã¢?©Julius Calasicas is a News Reporter for The Beacon.
