Fashion

             Marjorie Garber asked the question, "what buttons, envelopes, and borderlines are left to push?- There is an always present desire in fashion to push against the dominant, and journey to the extreme. More and more society is making a statement through what they wear, literally wearing their hearts on their sleeves. As long as there is a need for self expression through fashion, there will be an endless number of buttons to push, and people will always try to be noticed. There is always a desire to go against anything "ordinary- or mainstream, so I think fashion will jump back and forth, diving in and out of new and old trends, never having a final outcome.
             The first thing anyone notices is the way you look, whether you like it or not. There are people who prefer to blend with what is accepted, and there are those who show a little more skin, or wear mismatched clothing with pre-made holes. They have that want for attention, and a need to stand out and make a statement. However more and more these days what was considered "unique- is now "cliché-, and you are considered a conformist if you try to rebel against mainstream fashion. So is there such a thing as original style anymore? It's hard to tell, and even boys in tight shirts and girls in ties are not out of the ordinary.
             As a student at Purchase College, I see the gender borders pushed to extremes, and it is more shocking to see a kid in Abercrombie than a guy in a skirt. Due to society's adjustment to changing trends and gender-bending, there is no limit to what can come next. There are hints throughout the media and fashion world that indicate a shift in the world of body image, and what seems to be coming back is the full, naturally shaped woman. Today, what you see strutting down the runway is a waif model with glassy eyes and bones protruding through her clothes. However in magazines, especially geared towards young girls and adolescents, the natural woman is coming back.