The way we dress should always make us feel good. This might seem like an obvious statement but there continue to be a significant number of people who aren’t made to feel comfortable within the clothing that they wear. Even shopping can be turned into an unpleasant experience by the inconsistency of labels, problematic culture of sizing, and the homogenous design of high street trends, which all fail to satisfy a customer’s true clothing desires.
To elaborate, we’ve put together three common issues contemporary fashion experiences, how they contribute to a worsened mental health, and what can be done to remedy the situation.
The Unwritten Rules of Fashion
There are unwritten rules within fashion, what looks good and what doesn’t. These dos and don’ts stop people from wearing certain colours and designs, ensure that people will often dress the same, and can even make them feel bad about their bodies. The latter largely applies to women, who are constantly made to feel that certain items of clothing are not appropriate for someone of their age, race, or body type. Whereas some might argue that these rules help people to dress better they, in fact, mostly contribute to the pressures associated with fitting in.
To tackle this issue, we need to refresh our minds and approach our personal style with new eyes. Forgetting about the so-called rules and choosing an outfit or piece of unusual clothing that you enjoy will be far better for your wellbeing than any alternative.
Uniform is Boring
Dressing in the same way, without individual expression or creative flair, might be an essential requirement for many office spaces, however, life is not office space. Yet, despite this rather obvious observation, many continue to dress in clothing that is remarkably similar to what others wear, choosing their outfits from mass-produced clothing stores instead of seeking out their own individual styles.
Thankfully, there is an ever-greater number of creators and designers who are producing varied DIY clothing with unique designs. By shopping with these fashion artisans, you will be better able to find an outfit that matches your personality, while simultaneously supporting a more sustainable and expressive fashion culture.
Better the Environment
By choosing alternative fashion inspirations, as well as supporting smaller creators who endeavour to produce ethical garments, we are not only contributing to a landscape of fashion that facilitates diversity but one that might also be sustainable for our environment too. There a numerous sustainability issues within our modern clothing production and it is largely caused by the very same clothing that contributes to bland high street fashion and mental ill-health.
It then makes sense that people should shrug off clothing that makes them feel bored or unhappy, especially if it comes from a system of fast fashion that both ensures customers will need to buy more clothing and contributes tons of fabric to landfills each year. And, ultimately, what can make us feel better about ourselves than expressing personality and saving the planet?
