It’s always seemed unnecessary to create a list of the top 5 anything in fashion. The top 5 ways to wear a white button down, the top 5 dresses for spring, the top 5 styles for women over 40, the top 5 ways there are more than five ways. The last one has some appeal.
In many years of working with clients, I’ve found that you can peruse the internet or even in an old fashioned way, books, and not find what clothes work for you and your lifestyle. There are just too many variables. Between the intrinsic who are we and how are we created to the extrinsic of what do I do in this world, where do I spend my time, and what is appropriate to that, there lives a variety of answers equal to the number of stars in the sky.
If we investigate the matter on a spectrum rather than limiting ourselves to cherry pick what may or may not work for us, we see that on the one end there are nudists. The very few that don’t need to be in any community but their own, thus limiting their impact in the world; and the other end — which is a bit more muddled – those wearing suits and ties and monk straps or high fashion, expensive, couture clothing.
Of course we are affected by the spectrum in many ways. Meryl Streep in her role as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada very pointedly said,
” …and then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. And then it, uh, filtered down through the department stores and they trickled on down into some tragic Casual Corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin…”
As icy as this statement appears, the fact that fashion, and the people who create it, affect our choices in many small ways, is evident through years of seeing celebrities clothing become the most sought after. For example, the
ripped jean trend is as strong as ever despite that most businesses do now allow them, and ripping them yourself can save you hard earned cash.
Fashion, music, food, language, are a reflection of our culture. The tipping point is here though, as we move towards seeking the source of our clothes. We want sustainable pieces and transparent companies. We want clothes that wash and wear well. But mostly we want to be able to say, that our bodies are good the way they were created. That the struggles with getting dressed is about finding what works for us, without considering the opinion of Vogue, our sister, or sometimes our own internal unkind voice.
Next time you look in the mirror maybe you can consider the top five ways your body has been your friend…your eyes can see, your ears hear sound, your legs take you places, your hands create and your voice calls to you and to others. Thank you five things. Thank you.
