Don’t Criticize People For Trying To Be Different

Sat., May 20, 1995

Carmen Moss Special To Opinion

I was at school one day, walking around the halls before class. This kid came up to me and said, in a real snotty voice, “Why are your jeans purple?” I said “Because I’m being original.” He said “Well, they look stupid.” Then he walked away.

The truth is that my jeans got thrown in the hotwater wash with my red sweater, but I wore them because they looked different. Like nothing anybody else has worn before. They weren’t in style that way.

The style now in middle school is stone-washed blue jeans, loose T-shirts with sports logos, clunker shoes and rings on every finger. Sometimes girls will wear short, pleated skirts or scoop-necked flowery dresses. There is pressure to dress like the other kids. You do it or people won’t come and talk to you very much.

The purple jeans incident made me wonder: “What makes them think that they are ‘The Fashion Police?”’ My feelings are that you wear what you feel like wearing. Some girls wear really short cut-off jeans; some boys wear Hammer pants and they are out, out! People look at them funny and maybe think: “I’m glad I wore these jeans.”

I think that what you wear shows your moods and what you are feeling inside. The day I wore the purple jeans I felt kind of embarrassed but I felt like I was making a statement, being original instead of copying what everyone else was wearing. Plus, I didn’t have anything else to wear so I was feeling practical.

Later, my friend came up to me and said, “I like your jeans like that. I think I’ll dye my jeans like that.”

I think people who you don’t know and people who don’t know you should have no say on how you dress or, for that matter, how you live your life.

So if you ever pass some kids by and their clothes and looks aren’t the best, keep in mind they could be dressing the best they can be. They might not be able to afford the in-style clothes. And they may be starting a big trend.

Stop and think that maybe there is something going on in their life that is affecting the clothes they picked.

Try to be nice and just keep your mouth shut.

MEMO: Your Turn is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion page. To submit a column for consideration, call Rebecca Nappi/459-5496, or Doug Floyd/459-5466.

Your Turn is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion page. To submit a column for consideration, call Rebecca Nappi/459-5496, or Doug Floyd/459-5466.

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