things that make someone cool

there’s been a lot of talk lately about things that make someone “cool” or things that make someone “chic”. i’m a little late to the conversation, but i found myself thinking about what being “cool” means to me. by definition, being “cool” means to exhibit admirable social or aesthetic qualities, which is, of course, subjective. there’s the obvious answers — being kind, respectful, confident, etc., but i’m going to give you a comprehensive list of niche things that make someone cool (in my opinion):

1. shopping secondhand/vintage caring about the planet and wearing unique pieces no one else is wearing? obviously cool.
2. wearing a piece of jewelry from a relative goes along with the above, but even cooler if it’s been passed down from a relative or loved one.
3. supporting small businesses another obvious one. supporting large corporations? not cool. supporting small businesses? cool.
4. having a hobby (or two) having something you do purely for your own enjoyment is cool.
5. going on solo dates going to the movies, out to dinner, a museum, etc. alone. super cool.
6. always carrying a book or journal i don’t know, something about someone carrying a book or journal around in their bag at all times is so cool to me.
7. wearing jeans & a tee just a cool, simple & classic outfit combo.
8. knowing how to grill not to feed into gender norms, but this one just applies to the girls. men who grill — bare minimum requirement. girls who grill — cool girl.
9. playing pool again, this one just applies to the girls. something so cool girl coded about playing pool at the dive.
10. outfit repeating wear your clothes! be creative! finding new ways to wear the clothes you already own instead of buying new stuff — very cool.
11. making niche playlists shoutout to everyone who makes very niche playlists on spotify that encompass the exact vibe or feeling i’m looking for. you are cool.
12. having knowledge on a specific subject someone who can speak knowledgeably and confidently on a random subject matter is very cool.
13. overdressing be the best dressed person at your local grocery store, or dive bar, or the dmv. you look cool.
14. handwriting notes we should all write random, handwritten notes for our family and friends more often. it shows we care which is cool.
15. complimenting strangers if you like something about someone, tell them! complimenting people is cool.
16. speaking another language if you can speak more than one language that’s cool.
17. knowing the names of people you interact with regularly your doorman, coffee shop cashiers, etc. a basic kindness and kindness is cool.
18. having a signature scent/nail color/lip color/etc. being known for a scent, a color, etc. is cool.
19. reading tired of people saying they can’t read. more people should be reading. opening your mind, educating yourself, or just reading for pure enjoyment or entertainment, is cool.
20. being yourself because, really, anyone who is confident in being exactly who they are, is cool.