Although I have extensively been immersed in styling for 10 years, the most intriguing aspect of my career has been the emotional attachment that we human beings have for our clothes, fashion and styling.
It makes one think if we really dress-up for ourselves? Does validation overrule self-love? Do we live a real life? Do we make honest choices? Why do we need to look a certain way, carry a particular type of image? That one compliment can be a game-changer to the mood we behold!
Fashion stylists rightly state the fact that what we wear, has such a strong influence on our being and this, is the real POWER OF DRESSING! How we look can get us attention, an opportunity to be heard, seen and or spoken. Personal fashion stylists say that how we look sometimes gives us authority, our image represents our meditativeness, approach-ability, royalty, opulence, sexiness, class, elegance, intelligence, creativity, confidence, power, hierarchy, and much more.
In the advertising industry, more often than not, a good middle-class man, who is kind, thoughtful, hardworking, a perfect father to his kids, husband to his love and son to his parents is depicted in a blue collar full sleeves button-down shirt. When did this happen and how did this happen? How did that blue shirt certify a perfect character certificate? And when did a short dress on a girl make her free-spirited, go-getter and undomesticated? A man with dreadlocks cannot smoke anything but marijuana and is cut off from the worldly ways of being and has lost his path of righteousness. How does a hairdo exhibit so much characterisation? What are these and many more emotional connotations? No wonder people are reluctant to make choices, be real, stand for what they really are, enjoy who they wish to be; hence these choices and generalised judgements impact our fashion and styling choices.
Why can’t a teacher wear a pencil skirt? Why can’t an investment banker wear bright colours? Why can a flight attendant wear sneakers or trainers as part of their uniform? Why do women wear high heels? Why should the shoes, belt and watch have to match for men? Why should a plus-size person not wear body-hugging clothes? All of this to look good, represent ‘right’, make an impact, get the attention, not to be made a social mockery as any out of the ‘normal choice can lead to feelings of unacceptability, dejection, lower self-worth and value, depression, awkwardness. On the flip side, being given a compliment for your hair, makeup, the brand 7 you wear, how you smell, the colour of clothes, your pose compliment to the fit, fabric, silhouette that matches your body shape is an instant mood up-lifter, confidence booster, acceptance in social strata, gets power and authority to influence!
Wehave made our fashion and style a massive part of our being, most times consciously then why don’t we say VANITY NO APOLOGIES!
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