There is a dangerous side to carving out a niche for oneself on the Internet. In a desperate attempt to create some semblance of order in all of the online chaos, the general rule dictates that the more one fits neatly into a box, the louder one's voice becomes. And as if there can be only a single representative of each personality type, some sites have devolved into squabbles that could rival the infamous East Coast/West Coast hip hop feud of the nineties.
A wise man once said (and a not-so-wise pop star repeated), "Clothes do not make the man." While dressing up or down may be a wonderful means of expression, garments are eventually stripped off, and said expression should be genuine. If there is one point that has been proven in the last decade, it is that clothing is not a costume. Sure, some women may spend hours in their closet, hoping to be caught by a street-style photog, but most are simply wearing what they love.
I will fully admit that I have been guilty of indulging in creating a character myself. Please allow me to confess now that I do not go around calling everyone "Darling"; more often than not, I rely on proper names, or even, "Hey You." I have as much fun dressing up to the nines as the next girl, but I don't live in pearls or giant cocktail rings (though they are a weakness). This isn't a movie, this is my life. All of my flaws and complications remain when I am wrapped in labels, and my good qualities are still intact during the days spent in sweatpants. I cannot and will not be reduced to one dimension of myself, nor will I compete for a persona. At the end of the day, I may enjoy trying certain things on, but they are just as easily removed. And I am still me.
