The way a person dresses is heavily dependent on their social and physical environment. People dress differently to adapt to environmental conditions such as fluctuating temperatures and humidities. In a small, rural town like Gloucester, adaptations to our environment such as these are extremely visible. Many people here dress in boots to prevent getting their feet wet in a place that is naturally marshy, while others wear camo clothing for hunting, a hobby extremely popular in the town.
Notably, many change the type of clothing they wear because of the temperature difference between winter and summer. In the winter, some might wear thick, warm, and insulated coats, whereas in the summer, they’ll wear short sleeves. These adaptations to the environment also translate into a more diverse sense of fashion. Some may begin to wear a wider range of colors and designs that stem from the original design in order to express themselves, but some may wear the same things their friends do. Nowadays, you can see that many of the creative style choices that people choose to wear are both colorful and skillfully designed to handle weather and environmental conditions.
I interviewed a couple of people with different attitudes and aesthetics in order to contrast the differences in the types of clothing and styles they choose to wear. During this process, I interviewed Grace Knight, a sophomore at Gloucester High School with a very clean aesthetic. When I interviewed Grace about her outfit and aesthetic, she commented that she was “trying to be Matilda Djerf.” For the record, Matilda Djerf is a Swedish influencer and fashion designer. She’s very well known for her “old money” aesthetic. I noticed that between her and Grace they both wear very soft and more elegant colors. Her outfits are more neutrally tailored for both fashion and environmental factors as seen in jeans and jackets. The mix of brown, tan, black, and white clothes gives off a very refined, cultured taste. Grace also mentioned she spends a lot of time on her phone, which is connected to her inspiration to look like the celebrity Matilda.
Another interesting interviewee was a well-known teacher at Gloucester High, Mr. Barkley. When I interviewed him about his aesthetic it seemed as if he wanted to mix comfortable clothing and a more professional look. His funny and unique personality is reflected in his “professional but playful” style. The day I interviewed him, he was wearing “Crocs for comfort”, tan khakis, and a nice shirt. His choice of clothing can be described as distinctive and pleasant. It’s very visible to see that his unique style upholds a reputable image. He can be said to have adapted his image to his environment at the school in order to remain respectable and cozy.
Another person I interviewed was Blake Helms, a Junior at the high school. He had plenty of wonderful and funny comments on his own style. He described his style as similar to that of a Roblox randomizer. Going on to say he goes for outfits that are more described as indie, thrifted and emo. He likes to accessorize with plenty of cool items such as silver or black rings, necklaces, and keychains; which expresses his interest and likes enthusiastically. It seems as if Blake loves to tailor to the aesthetic of his outfits, he’s a stylish and fashion-oriented person. He casually mixes colors such as black, purple, brown, navy blue, white, green, and camo. Despite his clothing consisting of darker tones, he mixes them together well. When he is choosing an outfit, he noted that he likes to use the golden ratio. A common fashion technique used to make one’s clothes look proportionate to their body. It states that ⅓ of your body should be covered by your shirt or jacket while ⅔ of your body should be covered by your pants. Blake implements the golden ratio very effectively in his baggier and ebony vibe. I believe it’s interesting that although he doesn’t hunt, camo is a type of color combination that he’s implemented in his style. Many people wear camo around Gloucester commonly now even though they may have never hunted, could it be that camo evolved from a hunting necessity to a type of fashion?
In addition, I also happened to interview Leila Nester, another Junior at GHS. When I asked about her aesthetic she replied with a very broad range of answers. She commented that her mom commonly says she looks like a homeless person because her style is baggy and darker, but she loves the way she dresses. She wears many greens, blacks, blues, and darker colors in her outfits. Accordingly, green is her favorite color which is why she likes to incorporate it into her outfits a lot.
Finally, when I interviewed Mr. Padlock, an assistant principle at Gloucester High School, he was more concerned about the weather and his professional appearance. This is due to the fact that his job causes him to be outside and walk around for a large portion of the day. He mainly prioritizes dressing to adapt to the environment. However, he also wears a lot of school merchandise to represent the school. He likes to remain professional but casual to be more approachable. Padlock’s aesthetic is professional and practical. He noted that he wears a lot of faded jeans and Skechers because walks about 10 miles a day. He also wears a lot of layers and hoodies in the winter, as well as nylon fabrics, because temperatures drop really low in the mornings.
The complexities of the way each of these individuals dress are tailored to fit their social and physical environment. Over time colors and fabrics have been adapted to become suited for both style and use. Everyone dresses differently but the reason they dress the way they do is similar in some senses. The way many people view their likes and dislikes is implemented in the way they dress as seen through the interview. But also, people tend to dress according to the weather and physical necessities of their lives. Finding a balance between the two is what makes every individual unique.
