I am writing in regards to Christina Hoeck’s Fashion Dos and Don’ts article in the Dec. 6 issue of the Juice. In her article, Hoeck says for some it’s a hit-or-miss situation and they go from laid back to the DON’T section of a fashion magazine.

It seems to me that what she pointed out as DON’Ts seem to all be either farmers, cowboys or people who love the great outdoors. If I’m not mistaken, it seems as though she is scoffing at the way that these hard -working people dress.

Also, Hoeck gave the names of each individual that she believes dresses ‘good’, while she left the individuals whom she believes dress ‘bad’ anonymous. I feel if you are going to talk about someone in an article such as this, each person should be given the same amount of respect and treated fairly, not just a chosen few of them (and this is not intended to insult or put down any of the individuals in this article, I respect each and every one of you equally).

I found a little piece of her article quite interesting. Number six says “DON’T be a walking advertisement.” It seems to me that just about every article of clothing that we wear these days is an advertisement for the company that makes it. Take for instance these clothing and apparel lines: Aeropostale, Abercrombie & Fitch, Adidas, Lucky Brand, Nike, Cinch, Wrangler, Roper, Resistol and Cruel Girl. Each of these brands puts its logo on the apparel that they produce, therefore making them an advertisement. I don’t quite see how she says to not be a walking advertisement when most everyone wears at least one article of clothing that advertises for something or someone.

Hoeck says that the way the first five people in her article dress are definitely GOOD. While I agree that these five individuals are dressed appropriately for another day of college life, I also think that the last three are dressed appropriately. I don’t think it is appropriate for one person to tell someone else how they should dress, just so that they look like part of what that one person thinks is the ‘norm.’ We are all in the ‘norm,’ just some dress differently than others. After all, if everything looked the same, or everyone was dressed the same, this great world in which we live in would be extremely dull.

I have a quote from an article written by our great South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture, Larry Gabriel, and it goes like this: “Don’t you worry about what other people like. People weren’t made just for liking. People were made for respecting. You respect every person for who he/she is, and you will get along fine with most everybody. Pay no attention to anybody who says different.”

I believe that we all should respect each person for who he or she is and what he or she dresses like, and not put him or her into a ‘bad’ category just because he or she acts or looks different. I also want to say that I am in no means trying to put down Ms. Hoeck for her ideas. After all, she is entitled to her own opinion, just like I am entitled to my own opinion. I’m not trying to stir up a heated debate about how someone should dress. I’m just trying to prove a point that everyone is created equal, and we all have our own ‘fashion’ and the right to dress how we want, regardless of what anyone else thinks. After all, we do live in a free country, and I would like to thank our troops for giving their all to keep us free.

Wacey KirkpatrickSophomoreRange Livestock Production Major