Now in modern times, there are a plethora of styles and/or aesthetics. Style has broadened its range and brought so many different types of cultures alive. 

Fashion today is a lot less stereotypical than it used to be. People can wear clothes that are considered “Black” or “white,” and it doesn’t matter. 

Girls in later years were expected to be wearing classy clothes and have perfect hair, but today girls dye their hair any or every color of the rainbow. They wear baggy clothes and chunky sneakers.

 Trends today also link personal actions to styles and aesthetics. Even astrology can be linked to style. Today individuality is very important in our modern world. Our choice to dress a certain way or act a certain way is something that will always be our own. 

Many adults would have it so we don’t dress as” out there” as we do. They bring important issues like bullying and the ability to afford clothes when children of the generation try to grasp at some sort of difference. 

Adults have brought uniforms to school. Some say to take away individuality. Others say so no one can say they are better than the rest. “Even if it’s a lot less fun, it’s much easier wearing uniforms for 5 days of the week. I spend less money on clothes and more money on important things,” said Matania Ongalo.

 Many articles have been posted about this thought: there are pros and cons to both which can affect younger generations in both positive and negative ways. According to “New York Times,”  “Teenagers are struggling with anxiety more than any other problem, and perhaps more than ever before. There’s a good chance that it is anxiety that is driving teenager.”   

Teenagers today tend to compete with each other between who looks better or has more. Wearing uniforms demolishes that problem, but in effect brings up a ton more. Children who wear uniforms for many years of their lives may not know what they want until it’s too late. 

Individuality is one of the most important things we as a generation have. It helps us shape ourselves into the people we want to be. It fuels creativity and strengthens our idea factor in our brains.

In pursuant to Sciencedaily.com’s article “How individuality develops: Experience leads to the growth of new brain cells”, “Scientists have now taken a decisive step towards clarifying this question. Using mice as an animal model, they were able to show that individual experiences influence the development of new neurons, leading to measurable changes in the brain.” Making your own decisions and coming up with creative ideas strengthen your mind, they help you gain a larger imagination and a wider range of problem-solving. 

Fashion and individuality do not just affect mental aspects of your body but physical too, congruent with Scientificamerican.com’s article “Dress for Success: How Clothes Influence Our Performance,” “—many studies show that the clothes you wear can affect your mental and physical performance.” Getting ready for the day can be more than just preparing your brain for challenges but looking prepared on the outside creates a source of confidence and mental strength. Wearing an outfit you love can help you feel more like yourself and therefore more comfortable in normal situations.

A main source of inspiration for our generation is social media. It allows us to see trends and styles from people with heavy resources like money and fame. Pinterest, Tik Tok and Instagram are three main sources kids from our generation and younger use as inspiration to help build their style/aesthetic.

Older generations don’t always understand. Wearing black and dying your hair is seen as unholy or demonic as stated in The Wall Street Journal’s article “Why the Old Look Down on the Young.”  “Ever since the Greeks, people have been complaining that the next generation is a disappointment. Nowadays, it’s Boomers fighting with those aggravating, avocado-toast crunching, emoji-texting millennials. The feeling is seductive—but isn’t it really an illusion? After all, the old folks who are complaining were once on the receiving end of the same complaints themselves. In the 1960s, the Boomers’ parents denounced them as irresponsible hippies. Have people really been steadily deteriorating since ancient times?”  Even while older generations comment on the way we dress or act, generations before them had done the same!

Sometimes who we are on the outside doesn’t match the inside; sometimes it does. Older generations don’t get that being able to be who we want to be is so important to us. As seen stated from dove.com’s article “The Importance of Individuality and Uniqueness,” “Embracing our individuality is essential for personal happiness. Trying to hide or change who we are to fit someone else’s ideals lessens our sense of self-worth, causing self-esteem to plummet and insecurities to soar.” It brings confidence in ourselves and others. Taking away the one thing that makes us different,is forcing us to be the same and ultimately telling us that being different or unique is not something positive. As also reported by dove.com, “Compared with their peers, your child may have a different haircut, wear different clothes or listen to different styles of music, and all of these differences should be valued. Help them see how boring the world would be if everyone looked and acted the same. Point out that the most fascinating people are the ones who dare to do their own thing. By teaching your child the value of their unique identity, you’ll be teaching them not only to love themselves but also to truly accept others.” Learning to accept oneself can have a huge impact on our world. Oftentimes bullying is a result of feeling insecure. If we were all to accept ourselves, it would make accepting each other that much easier. 

This is why independence and individuality are so important to people of any age. According to a New York Times article, “What do Older Generations  Misunderstand About Teenagers Today?”  “Finally, teenagers have uncertain independence, many having been raised under the whirring of helicopter parents, overinvolved and trying to fix every problem for their children. This suffocates independence at a time when teenagers should be exploring autonomy, limits the development of self-reliance and grit and may even directly produce anxiety and depression.” This shows how the control of an older generation or more specifically parents can affect teens in a more drastic way than expected.

The way you decide to dress can be more than just the clothes you wear, it is who you are, what you stand for, and what you love. Fashion has a deeper meaning than just looking good. It is an art. Similarly,  it is important to us and hopefully to future generations to come.