Clothes are an expression of who we are and what we do, as the choices we make when dressing are dictated by how we live our lives. The routine of daily life and dressing can therefore become a rather dull and mindless affair if we dress solely for function.
Choosing our clothing should be a joyful task that we put thought into, as this is how we show the world who we are. We are individuals, and not a mindless hoard of doppelgangers, so our clothing should be individual too. As when a story is told, each word selected carefully, so should an outfit be, each piece coming together to create a deep and meaningful whole.
A thought-provoking garment incites the wearer to find meaning in other garments, in other people, in other objects, landscapes, paintings and so much more. We become more mindful of our lives, and able to enjoy those little moments we missed before.
In todays consumer lifestyle “people have less and less of their own time as they are drawn further on to the work treadmill to support” this. Depression is rife as people cannot seem to stop the vicious cycle of working more to buy more to counteract the feelings of despair from that constant work.
The ‘spend more, buy less’ philosophy announces its relevance here, although this is not the only way for fashion to help counteract these feelings. A slow and mindful way of life should be healing to both mind and body. We must think how clothing can implement the same objectives. A deeper meaning to how and why your clothing was made soothes the mind as it connects to these other levels. The garment must also be made with comfort as key so the body is equally soothed.
With healing in mind, one turns to how we heal our clothes to make them whole, and functioning once again. Even the simple task of darning a sock is no longer undertaken when it can so easily be discarded and bought anew. But fixing or darning something not only increases the lifespan of a garment, but can create a feeling of accomplishment for the owner of said piece. Darning can create beautiful patterns too and truly transform a garment.
Visible mending on a garment should be a sign of care and craft, not something to be ashamed of. I’ll be sharing some of my own mending projects on the blog soon!
