#jamesposting

JAMESPOSTING but look guys hes smiling

LOOK AT THESE FITS. LOOK AT THESE BEAUTIFUL FITS THAT I AM MOSTLY BIASED INTO ADORING BC HE'S EITHER WEARING A TANK TOP, A V-NECK, AND/OR A NECKLACE.

In all honesty though, I feel like S1 James was absolute peak not only in terms of appearance but also in terms of characterization. I feel like that's when he cared about people the most, that's when he was the least creepy and disrespectful to women (which I understand is a relatively low bar in this show), that's when he was at his silliest, most affectionate, most raw and genuine.

That's not to say he didn't have his moments in the later seasons because he most certainly did (especially in Season 2 and very very occasionally in Big Time Movie). But at a certain point in the series (I think it starts at Big Time Rocker and kinda snowballs from Big Time Movie onward) where James, like pretty much every other character (if they weren't one-offs or otherwise written out/forgotten), was flanderized to hell.

I may just be emotionally attached to Season 1 because that's the only season I have memories of when I first watched the show as a child. I think it just reminds me of a simpler time and makes me a lot happier. But two things can be true at the same time. I can be emotionally attached to Season 1 and believe that James was at his best at Season 1 after rewatching the show as an adult.

But what I think is very important when it comes to his wardrobe in this season is the significance and emotional attachment James had for a certain outfit. It was set up from day one that his lucky white v-neck was a core part of his character. That shirt paired with his black suit vest and his denim bootcut jeans was the very outfit he auditioned for Gustavo in because (I believe) that was the outfit he felt the most confident in. At least until he was faced with "lots of handsome" in Big Time Jobs. I mean, even just the v-neck shirt alone was enough for him when Big Time Rush first set foot in the sound booth at Rocque Records' recording studio. But any time I think about James I immediately think of that outfit.

I miss that confidence. I miss that self assurance. I miss that drive and ambition to reach for the stars as scary as that may have been at the time. There was so much to build from there and I don't think that aspect of his character was maintained in later seasons because he turned out to be a selfish, inconsiderate, uncomfortably strange creep. I understand he still embodied these traits early on. It's no surprise he turned out the way he did because those attributes were always there. But starting out, he was just a kid with a huge opportunity in front of him and trying to figure things out the best he could. That's not to excuse certain behaviors he exhibited, though. This is purely to add perspective. As weird as he was and is, there was still a time when his character was genuinely sweet and endearing. I miss that. I miss the old James and I miss the person he could've been.