The Fitness 'Appearance' Language

Photo Credit: RUN 4 FFWPU from Pexels

You can spot a Bharatnatyam dancer from a mile ahead. They've got this distinguished style of dressing, applying kohl to the eyes and overall appearance besides their expressive face and gestures. I'm always fascinated by how following their unique personal styles, they always manage to convey that group dynamics of the dancer's cult/tribe. 

To overcome my midlife crises I've joined a running club. I'm a typical bookish, no-athlete, sedentary type. To cut the story short, one day I woke up and decided to run a 10k. To date I struggled to fit in not necessarily because I don't share their passion for fitness but because I don't share their deep affiliation with fitness apparel, gears, gadgets, which distinguish them from the rest of the mortals. 

When you want to belong somewhere the first change you need to embrace is their style meaning - hairstyle, footwear, dress, body adornments in fitness clubs it's their fitness gadgets. Similarly, when you want to defy, you have to sport exactly the opposite styles. And this is how humankind finds their flocks through this powerful visual communication without any verbal language.   

In 'Devil Wears Prada', Andrea sees herself and viewed by Miranda as an outsider in the fashion industry until she changes her appearance and starts wearing designer outfits. Whether we like it or not once we sport their style, appearance, and body decorations as called by Ted Polhemus, we also tend to behave like them. Swaying of the hip like fashionistas, or regular running or biking like the fitness aficionados. Sporting their appearance and belonging to the tribe are mutual and feeds on each other, I guess. The more you follow their style better you fit in and vice versa. 

I understand the psychology and urge behind the 'presentation of self' through visual clues and creating the styletribe that uniquely identifies their collective self. I fully appreciate, admire, and in awe of the fellow athletes' persistence and dedication to embrace and take it forward to higher levels. We are in an advantageous position in this modern era where we can follow our style choice to define who we are and how to self express ourselves with visual meaning through our styles.  

The trouble arises, when you are an outsider and don't speak their 'appearances' language. That means I am always on my own. Being a minimalist and intrinsically environmentally conscious has its drawback in fitting in any 'styletribe'.  Or rather grandly I like to think, 'I don't belong to one tribe I belong to this universe'. Certain people are created as participants in the show and certain others are created to enjoy the show from the gallery. Both are essential for the show's success, right? And both will have the experience they bargained for.