If good eating harbors healthy thoughts, active lifestyle drives constructive actions, then by the same logic clothes also drive positivity of our actions. When you look at all these causes and effects together, you feel empowered.
The problem with fashion today
For most people, being “fashionable” is simply a way to show that they are in sync with what’s in and what’s not. Being “in vogue” with the latest trends might seem glamorous on the outside, but when you look at the psychology behind it, it is scary.
Fashion is all about feeling good, looking good, and create a positive impression of you. Positivity is empowering. Hence proved, fashion is empowering.
To start with, if you are to constantly follow the latest trend, you will end up with too many choices, a cluttered wardrobe, and never know what actually looks good on you or what clothes are meant for you. Hence most people find themselves perpetually anxious about wearing the right outfit, looking “right” all the time.
Such anxiety causes stress, and stress, as we know it, is dangerous for our mental health. You might not even know that this is happening. The day-to-day efforts of finding and wearing the right clothes slowly creep into the subconscious and eat into your mental health.
The reason why we gave this backstory is that the above impact of our fashion choices goes against the belief of living well.
On one hand, we are vociferous about wanted positivity in our lives, wanting to be empowered, uplift our spirits and our personalities. And then, on the other, we are burdening ourselves with the stress of being in the trend. Even if no one is directly telling us, we have given ourselves unconditional bias over time.
It just doesn’t fit together, does it?
The word empowerment is often misconstrued. Here’s why.
To empower yourself or someone else is not a form of rebellion or doing something radically different from the rest of the world or isolating yourself from the community so you can go against the grain.
It’s not just in action but in feeling. The action comes from how empowered you feel inside first. It comes from feeling good about yourself deep within. Clothes are supposed to make us feel good, like good food, good company, fulfilling work, or a nice vacation. With that logic, how can you feel good about you, if you are giving in to the pressure of trends?
Fashion can be empowering if you know how
There are too much data and information on what we should or should not wear and how we should exceed our own expectations of looking good. Now top it off with unrealistic body goals, fashion statements that don’t resonate with us, and even clothes that have no relevance to our lives.
If you are trying to follow the trends just because, chances are, you will have a lingering feeling of dissatisfaction. Why? Because you are not doing it because you want it, but rather because you are doing it unknowingly or to get affirmation from the world that you are in sync with the trend.
On the other hand, if you wear clothes that resonate with your thoughts, emotions, and state of mind; something that makes you feel like you then, you will not only feel good about your choice but also make it a driver of positivity, encouragement, and inspiration. This incredible feeling that comes from within is real empowerment.
Empowerment also comes from knowledge. When you know what your clothes can do for you, then fashion becomes truly empowering.
Keep it real, keep it easy
If you don’t know what works for you, then ask yourself – is it comfortable, practical (for your lifestyle), reasonable enough (for your budget), unique, and most importantly, does it symbolize you/your personality? If your style doesn’t fit your beliefs, ideals, values, or mental comfort, then don’t go for it.
Dressing up should be an all-natural, no-effort activity that not only makes you look good but also resonates with you and makes you feel incredible about yourself.
Fashion is freedom, celebration, and a way of expressing ourselves. It allows us to be anything we want to be, the way we want to be. And that is the most empowering thing that we can have in our lives. So, yes, fashion is a remarkable tool that can drive empowerment but you got to use it right.
