Style can communicate something about taste, but it cannot provide a complete account of a human being.
The freedom to express oneself therefore depends partly on allowing other people to remain complicated.
A man can enjoy dramatic fashion and still value tradition. He can prefer understated clothing and still challenge conventional expectations in other areas of his life. He can embrace an unconventional appearance without wanting to become a symbol for an entire movement.
People do not have to represent every idea that others associate with their choices.
That freedom also requires a degree of courage, although courage does not always look dramatic. Sometimes it means wearing something you genuinely enjoy despite anticipating criticism. Sometimes it means admitting that you are hurt rather than pretending to be unaffected. Sometimes it means changing your mind after discovering that an old belief no longer reflects your values.
And sometimes courage means choosing not to participate in the judgment of someone else.
