Self-Image

I have never considered myself the epitome of a beauty of attractiveness, although I have continued to view myself in high regard when it comes to developing my self-image. In fact, I detest being the center of unnecessary attention because of my image. The desire to avoid turning heads explains why I love dressing and presenting myself modestly. My father always did clothes shopping for me when I was still little.
 As I grew up, I started building up on the style and trends that my dad had imbued in me from a tender age. It was coupled with suggestions by my older siblings on how to present myself with comportment.
My older siblings were ardent admirers of rock stars, especially artists such as Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) and his band members. In this paper, I will explain how I developed my dressing style from the influences of my father and my older siblings. They single-handedly shaped my sartorial elegance (at least I consider it as such) up to the present day. These influences have persisted, and I have come to accept it as part of a persona.
The influence my dad and older siblings had on my dressing style has been immense. For instance, as a young boy, I would be delighted when my father bought me clothes that had imprints of famous rock stars such as those from the band Foo Fighters. I would become ecstatic when my childhood friends would admire the drawings and images of guitars on my t-shirts. I became so impressed that my siblings would bring me gifts of rock-star t-shirts during birthday celebrations and Christmas. Each of my friends had a distinct style, except for a friend of mine who would wear any piece of decent clothing available. I remember we would sometimes laugh at him whenever he wore his sister’s t-shirts. He never seemed to mind the laughs and with time, we began to accept him as he was. Such an experience taught me a crucial lesson in humility: never assume to know what the next person prefers and always respect the choices that other people make. I believe this contributed to the growth of my self-esteem, and I became even more articulate in choosing my clothes whenever we went out to shop for clothing and shoes. Whenever I went out shopping, I would find myself purchasing rock music themed clothes, as I had overly grown fond of them.
What started as a desire to look like Dave Grohl had turned into a passion that was now part of my daily routine. In Mirror on America, the authors posit that some people tend to admire superstars and other icons. In my case, this has been true (Mims & Nolen 58).  Some people have struggled to understand my style, although the pressure has not been intense. Once, someone asked me whether I thought my style was mature enough but beyond that, most people get my style.  Overdue time, I have been able to modify my style to adopt a more professional look, although I have never been able to divorce my first love. I have just changed it to reflect some degree of seriousness. I do not wear colorful rock t-shirts anymore, although I rock the style on weekends and other causal events like sports and entertainment. My siblings and father continue to mention that their influence on my style and image has been permanent. I do not mind the image I portray whenever I dress and groom because I believe a person should have a unique style or image that stands out. I am confident my style is unique because of the cultural influences my father and siblings engendered in me.  I cannot control people’s opinions about my image. In fact, I don’t want to do so because I believe I am well comforted and presentable.






















Works Cited
Mims, Joan T., and Elizabeth M. Nollen. Mirror on America: Essays and Images from Popular Culture. Macmillan, 2012. P. 58. Print.