My Fashionable Military Boots, Bow!

my look. pix from fashionbeans.com

I am a huge fan of www.fashionbean.com, a site for men's style guide and tips. As a self confessed metrosexual this site has been my fashion bible on how to dress up based on my personality and style. This where I get my idea of the latest fashion for men.

I don't know if I will take it as a compliment  or insult when my teacher in Special Education said to the whole class "Oh the Fashionista just arrived!", when I showed up in to class late wearing a long sleeve blue pastel checkered long sleeve, Guess Pants and Italian leather thong. I knew that he meant well but he doesn't have to announce it to  the whole class, I don't want further bloat my ego. Kidding. One  more incident when a  close friend introduced me to her new boyfriend as the the vainest among our "barkada" or peer.  That left  my mouth hanging open, I had to close it and smile and extended my hand for a shake. Again I know that she was just excited to see me and to introduce her boyfriend to us, but for her to describe me to her new beau  speaks a lot on how they talk about my back of me having a vanity kit which obviously was the origin of the word "vain" being attached to my name.  That hurts a bit but  I took it with grace and  aplomb even though I have a great personality and character which was rather overlooked.  

Just the other day, I called up my friend to go with me to the mall  to buy something and  to window shop, he agreed with excitement.  Thirty  minutes later, I arrived to his house wearing the usual shorts,  denim long sleeves and  my Aldo Boulden Military boots that I  literally saw  on  face his excitement dissipating.  He must have thought what spectacle I am, I don't care as long as I am happy with what I was wearing.  The wait for the taxi was indeed a the longest silence we had, to dispel it, I bravely asked " Do you like my attire?" and sheepishly answered   " I look like your bodyguard!" noticing his short, t-shirt and Delhomme Aldo sneaker  which was according to him, he was under-dressed  and  I answered " Really!?" with my face contorting with irritation I added " Do you want me to go home and change to my pajamas?" and that jolted him out of his stupor, whatever it was. Great timing it was for when we arrived at the mall there was fashion show, my friend upon seeing said jokingly " I didn't know you are going to a fashion show?" I could have punched his face for that comment but I just laugh it off.

In a small city like Cagayan de Oro, one can seldom see people go out and be fashionable especially men. The common attire is slippers, shorts or jeans, t-shirt. There are however brave souls who really go out wearing long sleeves, jeans and the sneakers; that's how far fashion here can go.  No one really go out and make a shocking statement that is high fashion in nature not even women who get away with wearing out the normal.

Personally, grooming and dressing up well speaks volume of one's personality. That is what I realized a long time ago and I just followed that epiphany for myself. It is a crime to go out of the house looking like hag. We are in the age where television and the internet has made fashion really accessible. We only have to study and adapt what is appropriate to one's age and personality when dressing. Notice that we are drawn to people who looks well fashionably and physically and that we all wish that we are like them, but it was just an interest and not a commitment for we remain in the status quo looking like everybody else. I think that now is right time to dress up before it is too late when wearing spaghetti straps (for women) and skinny jeans complete with blings (for men) is no longer an option.

As I was studying Special Education, one fact that I learned was that dressing and grooming is very important to be a teacher. Students especially pre-preschoolers irrevocably trust a teacher that is well groomed and well dressed. Knowing this only reinforced my belief that I am indeed on the right track.

As expected, I did get a lot of gawks and stares from people for I was the alien from outer space. They were seizing me up, I was tempted to give them dagger looks instead I put on a the " I don't care" veneer for I am not apt to use my Aikido skills on them. Kidding. Yeah, I felt like different and I like it. I took it as a positive thing that maybe those people who were staring at me was wishing that  they are in my military boots.

As I get older, I have come to realize also that the present me was what I was dreaming  of since I was the lanky and awkward college student who wears hand me downs from cousins, with only two pairs of jeans and well-worn sneakers with holes in it. It is such a huge compliment when friends from high school and college would comment " You look handsome now and young!" and I fend off false humility and flash  on my megawatt smile and "Thanks!" Great moments indeed.

Me, wearing that Military boots only shows that I have come along way with my confidence!Bow!