Mindfulness | Language of Fashion

While I often cringe inwardly at the term fashion blogger, it is what I am. And while it does come with the negative connotation of being self absorbed, fashion is one of the few ways we can make a statement without saying anything. So what do our clothes say about us? Consider your favorite TV show, what your characters wear tells you a lot about a character. I’ll be using Schitt’s Creek  for my character examples in this so if you haven’t seen the show, there maybe spoilers hidden in this post.

“What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language.”

—Miuccia Prada

Let’s begin.

Alexis Rose is young, carefree, and her style is whimsical, boho inspired, and free spirited. She often wears skirts and dresses, with flowy fits, micro prints, and accessories include fringe, feathers, and floppy hats. When you look at Alexis you see a fun, yes girl, who enjoys an adventure. And as the show progresses we learn how adventure seeking Alexis ACTUALLY is,  including her crossing borders, blind dates with princes, and globe trotting without her parents apparently knowing. Her adventurous style leans into her adventurous relationships and her ability to chase after big goals and proves she is more than the dumb socialite people initially see her as.

David Rose is reserved, only letting a few people into his inner circle. His style is in short; emo meets haute couture. While a majority of his wardrobe is often strictly black or white, but nothing about David is black or white. He often reaches for extravagantly draped items, looser fits, and contrasting textures. While his appearance is intimating to folks when they meet him, his choice to wear sweaters and soft knits proves he is soft on the inside with a hard exterior from years of hurt and pain. David is ultimately one of the most welcoming people.

Moira Rose is loud often being heard before she enters a room and her wardrobe reflects her extravagant personality with outrageous wigs and apparel details that seem outlandish but seem to help her step into the person she sees herself as. With sleeve details, collar details, shimmer, glitter and metallic details at all times that help her reflect joy, or angst into whatever room she enters. Moira’s style doesn’t end when she goes to bed, throughout the series Moria rocks a sleep vest and broach. Something no one EVER mentions, but prompts one to wonder if Moira is ever not ready for guests and to be the center of attention.

Johnny Rose is thoughtful and his timeless suit that he wears is the perfect example of how reserved he is as a character. While his style comes across as the most straightforward, Johnny is far from that. He is dedicated and persistent just like that suit ready for whatever the day hands him from cleaning motel rooms, to pitching a business plan. Johnny’s suit is always elegant & a comforting sight. Johnny is dressing for the job he wants everyday, regardless of what the day holds.

Examine your own wardrobe.

Consider what words you use to describe yourself & what words are a turn off about clothing. For example; while I may be a more quiet presence in a room, and my wardrobe tends to reflect this about me by being more muted. My style is both elegant for everyday life and comfortable enough to go for a walk or work on my feet all day. I generally choose cuts that I feel are feminine but far from either end of the conservative and slutty spectrum. Hopefully, my style is inviting and kind to those around me the way I hope I can be to everyone I meet.

I agree with David Rose, and can we not call one another’s style as “funky” it is not always a compliment.

What colors do you lean toward? Are you more extroverted and enjoy wearing bright and bold colors or do you find yourself more reserved and lean into more earth tones or neutrals? While bright & bold colors are fun they can limit how and what you pair with it. A pop of color can easily be added to a predominately neutral wardrobe with little consequence. As I said earlier, I prefer my muted tones, earth & jewel tones to bright and bold color schemes. I feel like these colors 1) look good on my skin tone and 2) reflect how outspoken of a person I actually am.

What details or accessories do you enjoy?  Glitter & Metallic to reflect the energy of the room, or more natural materials like feathers, or soft fabrics like sweaters, or leather. Many of these choices for me come from how items are made and if they will return to the earth kindly. This speaks to the importance I have for a sustainable life.

Do you wear fitted silhouettes or more flowy cuts? Which cut feels more comfortable? Does your preference have more to do with what you like or dislike about your body more than what you actually want to wear? There are so many ways, I can answer these questions, like I prefer both and find both to be flattering on me. But many of my choices come down to my inaccurate view of beauty I’ve been handed by a patriarchal society of who and what women should look like, including is the cut of this dress okay for my slightly pear-ish figure? When in actuality, all that matters is that I feel good and confident in what I wear regardless if this dress is a good cut for my figure.

What prints do you wear? novelty, micro, plaid, stripes, florals? Why do you reach for those prints? I shy away from most prints, I like to be versatile and mix as much as I can together and prints get in the way of doing just that. So I stick with timeless prints, like stripes, plaids, some floral, and a good neutral animal print. Just like a good pop of color, a good print can be added to a neutral wardrobe with little consequence.