But the other thing we’ve missed is how absolutely welcoming the Western fashion space is. Time and time again, the people I spoke to emphasize the Western movement’s inherent inclusivity: The most beautiful thing about Western fashion is that it invites you to be yourself. Rarely does an aesthetic not care whether you dress up or dress down. But in the Western world, denim-on-denim (and sometimes, on-denim) is as acceptable as an outfit crafted entirely from sequins. At every event I attended, some people were dressed to the nines with hair and makeup to match, and others were clad in the casual garb they’d wear on a ranch. And no one was out of place. It was clear, too, that everyone put care into what they wore; some merely expressed that care through sparkle, while others paid more attention to the details on their jeans.
This wholehearted acceptance of the gamut of style is something we’ve collectively gestured toward in recent years. It’s the kind of thing we’re aiming for when we embrace “ugly” fashion trends. When we celebrate the dad sneaker. When we take genuine, earnest pleasure in wearing the strangest vintage clothing we can find. Still, these moments are tinged with an undercurrent of irony; when we wear aughts-inspired clothing, we’re doing so self-awarely — implicitly making fun of the tacky clothes we all used to wear.
See more at: In a world full of princesses be a cowgirl poster
