Are You a True Fashion Leader? 

By Lee Ha-yul, Branksome Hall Asia

Let’s consider that you are shopping online for a T-shirt. Incidentally, you find two T-shirts with very similar designs. One is from the most popular brand these days, and the other is from a company you’ve never heard of, but you can buy it for a third of the price. Which t-shirt are you going to choose?

Many people waste money buying unnecessarily expensive products at bubble prices to keep up with the latest trends. Is this what a real trend leader looks like? 

For the past few years, long black padded jackets were famous in winter. A foreigner I met said when he goes to school, “only kimbap walks around.” When I asked what he meant, he explained that he thought the black long padded jackets of certain brands was like a school uniform because everyone was wearing it, and it looked like walking pieces of kimbap. 

A few years ago, a satirical article abroad stated that 90 percent of the groups in colorful and bright hiking clothes at major tourist destinations around the world were Korean travelers. This is because all Korean tourists in their 40s and 50s wore bright hiking clothes. A foreign student who has been in Korea for 10 months talked about Korean culture on YouTube and said, “I don’t think I need to worry about my fashion because my hair, clothes, and makeup are all similar to others.” 

If you listen to the lyrics of trendy songs these days, they say things like “I am the best” and “I should follow my personality.” These songs are popular because the listeners want to follow that message and follow their own personalities. But our society is different. Our society says that if you don’t wear a brand that everyone wears, you feel left out, and if you don’t carry a bag that everyone carries, you feel like a loser. Is this pattern of thoughts of the people who deeply care for their individuality? 

So, who dictates what is fashionable? Celebrities? Teachers? Famous brand designers? None of them can. The answer is you. We must stand tall as the masters of change, finding our own style in a rapidly changing world, and live as confident and confident “me” with our own individuality. When each of us believes ourselves and lives with the confidence that we are the brand, we will make a beautiful society where everyone is respected for our own style, not the same face.

This is the moment of change. Be the change! You can be the beginning of this change.