My go-to outfits as an adult have been Normcore to the maximum. I want to be seen but not noticed in anyway for anything I have on. My look is timeless, racially-fluid, and appropriate for every occasion.

I don’t think it’s by accident either, while my personality is far from eccentric, I think there’s something to the environments I’ve grown up in encouraging my desire to fit in with everyone else. As a larger Black dude, anything I wear is going to show off a lot more than someone a little less descript. I’ve already been through the early 00s phase of everything 3XL

But since then I’ve been pretty Ned Flanders terri-diddly-iffic

However, now I’m looking for a change, it’s RIP Normcore and Hello Black Excellence in 2017. Maybe it’s because:

• I’m theoretically closer than ever to a time where I could actually be a Dad
• I’m having a quarter-life crisis
• There have been some INSPIRING ‘fits in the media recently:

BET- New Edition Story

GQ – Migos 

But in addition to those very real factors, I want to celebrate my Black Excellence more in 2017 because… Boy, it certainly feels more oppressive than ever to be who I am. This doesn’t at all feel like to time to go meek and unnoticed. When there’s not much to be excited about, it’s best to create your own excitement.

As a future doctor, I’m always wary that I may be perceived as looking “unprofessional”. There’s a certain pressure on Black men in professional environments to present in a certain way, for example, to have a short-trimmed hair without any extra cuts or uneven hair lengths, no matter what style is currently en vogue. To my pleasant surprise, since actually meeting young, Black doctors at conferences and such, it would appear that we actually are allowed to express ourselves within certain limits. I received an unexpected amount of satisfaction when I interacted with physicians well on their way to promising careers wearing dreadlocks and diamond earrings. In a superficial world seemingly difficult for anyone or anything against the grain, instances where merit override classical presentation are certainly few and far in between, but most definitely appreciated.

I’m still awkward and nerdy at heart, so I’m not likely to grace a GQ covershoot or a runway anytime soon for my innovation. But for anyone else like me, let you hair, your clothes, your shoes, and even some jewelry (if you wanna get crazy) better showcase your personality and your attitude. Within respectable reason, be true to yourself, and people will ultimately respect you more anyway.