There was a time in my life when I spent most of my energy trying to dress like an eccentric, using clothes to exclaim my difference and announce to the world that I was special. “Pay attention to me,” my style said. “You will pay attention to me.” My wardrobe reeked of desperation, or maybe I was just strange. Maybe I still am. Some would say that I still dress wildly and weirdly. Some days, at my most insecure, I deck myself out in my loudest clothing, hiding behind the neon sign of an insanely printed shirt or a scarf made of vintage saris. We all have those days. Most of us hide at home in sweatpants; I go out and beg to be seen.

On the whole my style has tamed. My clothes are simpler, and I care less what people think. However, it’s in a much different way than I claimed before. Sometimes I worry that I’ve become too conventional, that I’ve lost my nerve and verve in dressing. But I don’t think that’s it.

For better or worse, the way we dress speaks volumes. Unfortunately, much of what it says has to do with outdated ideas about class and gender and lots of other things, and it doesn’t help that the fashion industry is really, really shitty most of the time. Sometimes it is vapid, but sometimes it is dangerous in telling us what we are supposed to look like and who we are supposed to be.

I still think that style matters—matters very much. Every day we get to wake up and ask ourselves who we want to be, who we want to present to the world. I still care. I think we all are presenting some version of ourselves to the world with our clothes, and it’s empowering to be in control of that.

In light of all this, I am distrustful of any style that pretends not to say anything or not be in control of itself. I have noticed a pretty disturbing trend at this school—and elsewhere—which I will call homeless-chic. A certain set of well-off young people dress in unwashed, mismatched, old clothes. It is a look that tries to say “I don’t care at all.” But we all know that these people spend hours at vintage stores, and hours putting these ensembles together.

It’s not only false, it’s not only ugly, it’s also kind of offensive. It strikes me as a contemporary collegiate take on slumming. Having control over your style and the way the world perceives you is admittedly a luxury. So when you have that choice, and choose to fetishize those who don’t, it is a really questionable decision.

I don't know what this look is trying to say besides, “Isn't this ironic? I'm rich, but I look poor! Isn't that funny?” No. It really is not, so cut it out. Dressing ironically will never go out of style in certain circles, but there are some things we just do not do, even ironically. One could not get away with blackface ironically. I’m not sure if this issue is that different: one does not do “homeless” ironically.

Think about the message your clothes are putting into the world. In some ways your dress will always say: “This is who I am, this is who I want to be.” I can say with certainty you do not want to be homeless. Look at your life, look at your choices.