Is fashion a feeling? I’d say a vociferous yes!
Some happiest moments in life are when we are all spiffy in a new outfit, or a favourite out-of-the-closet after a long time. I am sure many would vouch for some soft, faded but super-comfortable wear perfect to potter around in. Parent-worn housecoats, grandma’s saris, a sibling or cousin-snagged tee, old baggy pullovers, dupatta, dress or pyjamas — unbeknownst and deep in some sub-conscious layer they are the warmth of a hug, tug of a memory, shared laughter or simply just that — to be in garbs that one finds ease or cheer in.
A “brand new” purchase is all about feel-good, excitement and confidence, depending on the occasion. Next time, tarry a moment to just feel the feel when you wear the old or new — to work, a party, a fam-bud gathering, a festival, wedding, or even as you hit the sack.
It's that sense of touch and often times memory that bring in the emotions. Clothing is tactile. It can be mellowy and gossamer, sharp, crisp, striking and polished, or just a sensuous sway or magnetic drape around you. Adjectives come easy but the key is to find or ‘feel’ your sweet spot. For instance, the cut, fall, fit of an item of clothing may appeal to you, but if the colour and the texture, either-or too, do not appeal, it remains on the rack.
How many times has a dress, old or new, uplifted your mood? How many times have you slipped out of an outfit just because it did not feel right? Think back.
Besides, can symbolism be disassociated from fashion? Wearing white or black while mourning is known. How many tribes and cultures does one know where only a certain type of clothing can be worn by specified people?
Fashion is not just a tangible feel that imbues an individual with a personality, it can also be a societal more, among so much else. How often have you judged someone for what they were wearing? We will not go into the right or wrong of it, but your response to some, specially a first meeting, many a time is influenced by the garb that reflects the person. Fashion, you see, is not just what you wear but also how you may perceive people around you.
While John Carl Flügel, the author of the influential 1930 book The Psychology of Clothes, wrote: “Clothes are, in fact, the expression of certain fundamental tendencies,” more recently Carolyn Mair, a cognitive psychologist working in the fashion industry, put it thus: “We cannot separate clothing from the self and identity because what we wear is an outward display of our self and our identity.”
What do you think and feel? Would love to hear from you.
