There’s nothing like getting philosophical early in the morning- especially about something as seemingly banal as clothing. But here me out for a minute. I have probably spoken about clothing as a reflection of self before (or numerous times) but every time I get in the mood to reflect about it I do think I have a new revelation or something to say.
For those of us who have clothing obsessions, we have long touted the idea that what you put on your body is the ultimate expression of self. We use this thought to justify our overflowing closets; our need to show how carefree we are with the perfect dress for a vacation, how sexy we are with a revealing top for a concert, and how professional we are through our choice in blazer. I know that the clothing choices I’ve made over the years reflect not only my phases of life, but who I wanted to be that very day I put on my clothing.
For example, it might be the first, highly worn in and rumpled leather jacket I bought to show that I was edgy, cool, and a little rough around the edges. Then maybe it was the much more expensive, higher quality, refined leather jacket that I learned made me look put together but like I was trying much less hard to do so, that I eventually settled in on. There is an evolution to style, just as there is an evolution of self, that helps you to understand what is the vibe you are putting out in the world.
Items we adamantly don’t choose to wear are also a reflection of self. For a long time I resisted anything too feminine or preppy, such as bright pink, voluminous skirts (pleats, gathers, ruffles), and floral prints. I thought that by wearing these items I would be perceived as a girly-girl, which I never was. But if I’m being honest with myself, I think it was mostly because I was never comfortable in my own femininity. I never had curves, never felt like a WOMAN, so wearing these overtly female shapes and colors never felt right on me.
Now that I have had a baby and my body has changed (permanently? I don’t know), I find myself dressing to be comfortable in my new skin, while masking my new shape with over the top details. My style has evolved into bright colors, intricate details and looser silhouettes. I am more comfortable now wearing feminine pieces, and items that make me feel like a sophisticated, well-traveled, interesting, WOMAN.
I have traveled all of my life (probably never gone 2 months without being on a plane) so the fact that I haven’t flown for 6 months has me wanting to display my wanderlust on the outside. So I’ve been gravitating toward handmade details, embroidered linens, easy caftan silhouettes, and items that make you think I’ve been to Morocco, Spain or Indonesia recently. I have been scouring the internet for beautiful pieces to wear around at home, going to the grocery store, and wearing out at night that show that I am interesting, without trying too hard. I realize that my personality should highlight what an interesting person I am, but the reality we all face is that we first judge a book by it’s cover. Disagree? There’s always someone who does…
So my question to you is, what are you dressing yourself in these days and what does that say about you? Or what are you trying to make it say? Sometimes the answer is just “look professional, be comfortable” but I challenge you to dig a little deeper about the man or woman you want to be, and how you can express that through your clothing choices. I would also love to hear if there is another blogger/influencer/friend who’s style you admire and why… it’s always to interesting to hear what resonates with people sartorially.
This post was initially like 3x as long as I can talk about ‘Clothing as a Reflection of Self’ all day everyday, but I will leave that content for another day! Hope you enjoyed reading and that you think about that white tee shirt a little harder next time! ;)
