glumshoe:

I never understood fashion. I have certainly developed my own style and have learned how to emulate certain “looks”, but I remember growing up and being baffled as to why I couldn’t look like other kids, no matter what I did.

Even if I had access to the same clothing options, I couldn’t assemble an outfit that looked like it fit in with what my classmates were wearing. I was never particularly concerned with “fitting in” because I knew it was unlikely to ever happen, but I didn’t get style and I didn’t know how girls managed to pick outfits that seemed “normal”. A classmate once offered to let me pick out anything I wanted from her closet and wear it for the day, but everything I chose was wrong for some reason I didn’t comprehend.

Fashion in adulthood is far less confusing. You can do pretty much anything you want and someone will appreciate it. When there *are* rules, they’re pretty clearly communicated – there are whole guides to dressing “business casual”. I wore a bird skull pin to my last job interview and got the job! But among children and teenagers, it seems like style is mysterious and all-important.