IDGAF: I Dare Greatly About Fashion

This article is part of our Spring 2022 print issue. See the full, digital version of the issue here.

As Urban Dictionary so eloquently states, the definition of IDGAF is quite simply, “I don't give a f***—something to say when someone is annoying you about something you don't care about or when their opinion is not valued by you.”

We at The Edge DGAF, or in our terms, Dare Greatly About Fashion. With a chic connotation, we believe this newfound attitude towards wearing comfortable, colorful and confident pieces will put your self-assurance and self-image in vogue. There is no f*cking around here.

Envision yourself flipping through a magazine and you come across a spread from an acclaimed designer (think Gucci), and you can’t stop yourself from staring at the page. Why? Because you’re trying to decide if the mismatched pieces really look good together. But then you remind yourself that it’s couture, so these designers have the power to make a fashion statement through their artistry.

Gucci has attracted millions of people in this fashion by establishing a name, creating bold, contrasting articles and inspiring conflict between tasteful and tacky. Similarly, the late Italian fashion designer Giovanni Maria "Gianni" Versace was known for his audacious fashions and glamorous lifestyle. According to Style Barista, Versace said, “Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way you live.”

Like Versace and Gucci, YOU have the power to wear whatever pieces you want. Embody your personality through style and express how you want others to perceive you, regardless of the label. Why? Because you, too, can not GAF.

Bold colors and color-blocking have taken the fashion industry by storm and can be key to self-expression. Color-blocking is defined by Gianluca Russo on Byrdie as “mixing two to three (if not more) bold and often contradictory colors together in one ensemble to make for an exciting statement piece.” Color blocking was largely popularized by Black fashion designer Stephen Burrows in the 1970s disco days and is now being used as a means to outwardly express emotions.

While emotions are internal feelings, including happiness, sadness, fear and anxiety, we can DGAF and express them externally by embracing patterns and color to influence our mood and show our individuality.

Red: strength, power, passion
Orange: energy, bravery, warmth
Purple: ambition, creativity, spirituality
Blue: tranquility, loyalty, trust
Green: nature, healing, soothing
Yellow: optimism, happiness, sunshine.

We are facing a mental health crisis on college campuses today. According to College Stats, 80% of students are overwhelmed by their responsibilities, with 50% of students rating their mental health as “below average.”

It’s time to break the stigma associated with mental illness. One way to raise awareness is through fashion.

In the 1950s, Gucci’s popularity grew with celebrities wearing the iconic brand on the stage, on the big screen and on the streets of LA and NYC. Today, we see similar daring expressions through fashion and makeup in the accredited HBO Max series, Euphoria. In the developing, dramatic episodes, the characters turn to fashion to evolve as well. Their styles reflect their inner feelings or how they want to present themselves to the world. Furthermore, the students embrace their individuality and conceal their insecurities while daring greatly about the possibilities of fashion and flair. With the disco ball texture of Maddy’s prom look, she dismisses her insecurities about her looks and turbulent relationship with her boyfriend Nate. She doesn't want to feel the weaknesses that she hides so well through her amount of confidence, and she does so by using fashion.

This spring through summer, we challenge you to take a hint from our favorite designers and characters and scream, “IDGAF!”

Tag @theedgemag and DGAF (Dare Greatly About Fashion).