Fashion is expression.Fashion is Freedom.But is it really? I did some research to find out.
Cultural probe participants were asked to submit outfits that spoke to them throughout the day.
Tee’s submissions
Tee is someone who wears all black, yet loud pieces and outfits spoke to her.
Bri’s submissions
Bri dresses safe and stays in her comfort zone, yet the outfits that spoke to her were bold and fearless.
They believe they dress for themselves, but the way they spoke about getting dressed said otherwise.
That’s because humans are hard-wired to look to others when evaluating their fashion choices.
93%
of poll respondents feel that their outfits are being judged when they go out.
81%
are doing the judging.
So, people prioritize messages they don’t want to convey.
I want to say:
Tee
“I’m cool”
“I’m cute”
“I’m single”
“I’m polished”
“I’m chic”
“I’m fun”
Bri
I’m afraid it’ll say:
“I’m easy”
“I’m not worth respecting”
“I’m a sexual object”
“I’m not respectable”
“I’m not to be taken seriously”
So I tell myself:
“No high heels”
“This is too tight”
“Too much skin”
“This shows off too much”
“This doesn’t fit right”
“I’ll just where these pants AGAIN”
So, when using words like
not too much
effortless
safe
polished
comfortable but cute
They’re not just describing style, they’re describing boundaries.
When we get dressed, we’re heavily considering so much more than just us.
Insight:
Fashion is marketed as freedom,Yet experienced as negotiation.Alyssa’s reflection corner
As a self-certified fashion killa who’s comfortable with my personal style, the messaging around fashion and style discovery isn’t what got me there. It was being comfortable enough to experiment and express myself through my outfits. Phrases like “be yourself” are used relentlessly, but I knew it wasn’t that simple. It’s a sentiment we’re all cognizant of, yet it’s hard to live by when we’re constantly under pressure to dress to impress (whether we admit it to ourselves or not). The prevalence of social media has only amplified that pressure. Fashion needs to give up these platitudes and speak to people’s lived experiences.