Style

What would it take to shift the focus of individuals to see how the outward expression of fashion pays tribute to the formulation of standards from within? If such focus is achieved then maybe the value of style can change from that of vain to simply expressive. To achieve this level of focus we must ask; can a person be deemed a person without character? Can character be achieved without a standard? If a standard is a core factor, a standard must then become one of our cornerstones. Foundational Standards are important because they set the premise for other standards of operation, and the first is vulnerability. Vulnerability is the antithesis of shame, and shame makes connection and relationship impossible to achieve. With this in mind, and knowing that standards are crucial, vulnerability has long been the overarching theme that I have fought for. Strength cannot be a core value because it is a factor, not a feature. Take for example color, if someone was asked what their favorite color was they would never answer simply with color; they would say, green or red, otherwise, they are only explaining the factor (color) not its feature (Green). Strength and color are merely a standard; if one is asked what a core value is and they say strength, they are only explaining a factor, and not it’s more important feature. Specificity becomes a tool of understanding that shows how to be strong. Vulnerability is a sign of specified strength; another sign of strength is self-understanding. To understand oneself is to live without remorse. Not based on the opinions of others but of a greater truth that lives inside you, and only you, better known as conviction.

There are cultural divides that are crossed, even destroyed through the confines of style. Style is not the impression of others, but more accurately it is the manipulation of fashion into personal expression. From this understanding, steps can be taken before word pushes off the starting blocks of the tongue as if to run a marathon, not a sprint. Though if character and style don’t coincide, a trust of both word and self-leaves feverishly.