Reflection on Clothing: Sartorial Exercise

Part I:

I hereby describe a female student of Asian descent who sat on the side of the classroom near the front during the period. Age seemed to be in within range of late teens and did not seem to have any visible markers of religion. In fact she lacked of any kind of jewelry or “aesthetic” adornment.

Her clothes consisted of an orange Adidas sweater that was fully zipped up so it was hard to discern the number of layers she was wearing but it appeared there was a robin egg blue t-shirt underneath the outer sweater – a clear contrast of colors of blue and orange which definitely is striking to the eye. This may be a personal choice that expresses individuality or favorite color schemes or it could just be a coincidence. It could also indicate a) a lack of color coordination or b) blasé attitude towards picking clothes. She wore gray sports pants and basketball shoes. The shoes seemed pretty worn and the laces were not tightly tied indicating she probably wears these on a regular basis. She had a blue outer jacket hanging on her chair.

Besides these articles, the only other accessories on her body specifically were her turquoise Armitron analog watch which would most likely be classified as being of the diving watch style. The watch is very minimalistic in style however and stands out as particularly interesting especially in conjunction with the orange sweater. Overall you get a sense from these items that the individual is sports oriented and active and likes simplicity albeit the sports aspect is countered by the student’s facial décor which tells an entirely different story.
The other item she wears besides the diving watch is her own glasses which are a mauve color. A much more subdued hue in comparison to the other colors we see her wear. The glasses are also oval shaped and nothing about them look particularly cutting edge. Her hair is briefly layered but short and jet black. Perhaps this is a stylistic choice, a reflection of her personality, or it could be for easy maintenance, or both. No hints of dye that we see commonly among Asians. Again very simplistic look yet an emphasis on tradition which countered the active element seem in her garments.

Part II:

After reflecting on my own choice of clothing I realized that it was rather dichotomic. It wasn’t really a conscious effort but it turned out that I tend to prefer comfortable and casual clothing which often ends up being a sports article. I also like wearing a coat just in case it rains outside or turns chilly. Seattle weather is pretty cool for the most part so it has become a habit. I guess I also like the feeling of comfort that sweaters or loose clothing give me. I don’t dress for school really any differently than what I dress at home except maybe a few less layers in a heated environment. The interesting element of Monday’s garb was that my orange sweater was a part of my outer navy blue coat so both of them had the Adidas insignia. I didn’t purposefully choose the orange color my mom got the jacket for me. I generally have no real preference for clothing color as I range from bright orange to black quite frequently. Most of my pants are of a darker shade and I think I just find I need a balance with brighter and darker shades. I’m a person who kind of swings in emotions at times and my dress reflects that.

My hair length is actually a result of an impromptu hair cut over this past summer in China where I was visiting relatives and found it too hot to deal with lengthy hair and decided to try out short hair for the first time since my elementary years. I found it easy to manage and simplistic so I kept with it. I also find it unnecessary to wear jewelry or other décor unless it has a lot of personal meaning to me or is a gift from someone I hold dear. I feel that I can only fully cherish gifts if I use them and those are good excuses for me to wear accessories but otherwise I find them cumbersome and easily broken so I avoid them.