Following Fashion ... or Not
This is perhaps the most obvious trait of mine that's cribbed from somebody else. Though, men and women have been doing that for years. That's what drives fashion after all.
Of course, what drives me is vanity and comfort. I often wear what I affectionately call my combat boots. They are big, clunky, leather boots with platform soles. They lace up the front and have a zipper up the side. They sport a heel of at least 2 inches. They are my go to pair of shoes for over half the year. The other half it's a pair of flip flops where I can show off my pretty nails in my own designs. Of course, if I have a job then I choose between either a pair of high heeled loafers or a pair of slightly dressier boots. I'm a simple girl, no need for 20 pairs of identical shoes.
I'll never be found in the pages of a clothing magazine. I'm too round, too normal, too out there, too geeky, too mainstream. And I'm okay with that. I didn't grow my hair long to be like anybody else. I was inspired by Crystal Gale, I'll never deny that. But I soon made it my look because of the way I could then style my hair. I got my tongue pierced because it was a means to an end, not because everybody else was doing it and I wanted to show my special snowflake status. I knew that a bar through my tongue would mean less snacking and less gum chewing. I knew it would trigger a little spot in the back of my mind and I'd actually lose weight over it. I chose my clothing based on how it fits and how much it costs.
I pick my hobbies and interests because they actually interest me, not because they're they current trend among geeks, twenty somethings, or whatever other group is the newest trending topic. I read books that strike me as interesting. I listen to music that means something to me. Does any of that mean that I don't have mainstream interests or likes? Nope. I overlap plenty.
There may be something to flattering somebody by copying their look. Honestly, if it's one or two things that you can integrate into your own look then there's nothing wrong with that. That's actually cool and really a form of flattery. But ripping off the whole look and calling it your own? Not so much. Our looks, the way we present ourselves to the world, are signs of who we are. If that whole look is nothing of you but something you've whole hog swiped from somebody else then what are you telling the world?
Personally I'd rather show the world that I'm me, a little like some but still my own person with my own brain and the ability to think for myself. Of course, I get that strength from Nanny and that thinking ability from my Daddy. So even in that I'm still imitating somebody else, to a degree. *wink*