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Comment by goldenchrome | Hacker News Reader

Fashion is self-expression and your own personal connection to culture. I don’t think nerds on HN generally grok those concepts but many other people in the world do. It’s very important to lots of people and it’s a lot of fun once you know what you’re doing.

The fashion world has abundant problems but it’s still an important industry. Preying on insecurities and using cheap labor is sort of a way of looking at all consumerism though.

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People will often say "I don't care about fashion", then I point out that by wearing a dark monochrome tshirt, "silicon valley" hoodie, zip-up vest etc. you are showing that you are most definitely up to date on fashion trends.

Fine with me. If a bunch of smart people are going to lock themselves out of a multi-billion industry because they are too “enlightened” to bother, awesome. Less competition.

> it’s a lot of fun once you know what you’re doing

It's also pretty useful if you have an open mind and no idea what you're doing.

I don't really "do" fashion but I'm grateful for my cerulean sweater!

https://youtu.be/vL-KQij0I8I

Don’t assume that because I don’t like it, I don’t understand it. I do understand the venal emotions of mankind. That doesn’t mean I respect the people who stoke and exploit those emotions for profit. A lot of consumerism is ecologically destructive but only a small amount of it depends on actively harming your customer’s mental well-being. Fashion, Facebook, sensationalist media, etc. are all industries that depend on making people feel worse.

> I do understand the venal emotions of mankind.

Thank you, this is now my new catchphrase!

Frankly, you don't understand fashion. Fashion is not a new industry, nor is it parasitic. It's one of the oldest forms of self-expression and it makes lots of people feel better, not worse. Fitting in is always going to be stressful, but it's stressful because it's so important for social creatures like us. Fashion is simply a tool that helps people fit in. If you figured out a way to fit in that doesn't involve fashion, then power to you, but that doesn't invalidate thousands of years of people enjoying clothes.

I want to know more about this, but I have no clue. No clue if I'm fashionable at all. It's more like "Yes" and "No"

I usually recommend guys start with r/malefashionadvice to learn how to fit in, and then later on you can learn how to stand out. (edit MFA is US-centric but some of the concepts are still universal) It’s hard to fashionably stand out without knowing the fundamentals of constructing a basic outfit and knowing a little bit of fashion heritage, which you’ll learn from that subreddit. Once you’ve been there for a few months and learned all the standard MFA outfits, I’d leave and go in your own direction. People there tend to be a bit sanctimonious and rigid. Instagram and Pinterest are good places to find further inspiration once you have a bit of taste to filter out the garbage.

The fun part starts when you graduate from MFA and start to explore your own style. It’s rewarding to put together a visual identity that feels deeply personal, and then get a complement from another cool-looking stranger when you’re out and about. It feels like that person really likes YOU, and they probably do — and now you have the perfect ice-breaker. It’s just like working out; it’s an investment but there’s cumulative benefits in multiple aspects of your life.

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If your main “self-expression” statement is that you want to look like others, is that really self-expression, or were you just brainwashed?

If your interpretation of fashion is "looking like others" then it means that your last encounter with fashion was when you were a high school teenager.

I think you're mixing up self-expression and being completely unique. Self-expression is about fitting in as much as standing out. It's about figuring out who you are, and how you fit into society. Fashion is about telling the world "this is who I am". It's a really good way to connect with like-minded people.

If you wear a business suit, you'll find company with conservative business people. If you wear all black, heavy boots, and band t-shirts you'll find company with people who are into the local music scene. If you wear Patagonia vests or startup hoodies you'll find company with people who want to code into the evening.

This statement is really kind of funny, because its so stylized, so absolutely stereotypical that there was no way for you to possibly come to it creatively and originally.

Is some one buying momjeans on depop brainwashed, or is it you? If you aren't the one who is brainwashed why is your reply so ritualistic?

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