i think that at its most honest, fashion is a space of expression, a silent language, a visual form of an identity. but in its more toxic form, it becomes a machine of comparison, consumption, and categorization. a constant tension between who we want to be and the fear of never being enough. choosing an identity (as fashion often seems to ask us to do) it can feel exciting at first, like discovering a new version of yourself, but when that identity stops feeling true, changing becomes more difficult. because you don’t just let go of clothes or a look but you let go of who you thought you were.
reading this also made me wonder of this: what does it mean to choose an identity in a system that’s constantly offering us new ones to perform and consume? sincerely, sometimes i feel like the very act of choosing becomes performative—and other times, i’m not even sure whether i’m choosing freely.
“you have to wear clothes most of the time and the clothes you wear send a message to other people” thank you for this brilliant analysis that can be summed up to a single sentence we all already implicitly understand. Looks you can’t opt in to good writing, either. Sorry :(
this phenomenon is so dense it often folds into self-contradictions as -- even at a very young age -- it jibes with often unconscious body images. Which I mention in context of something I'm trying to write about Catholic school uniforms: "Amid the layers of gazes – boy-on-girl, girl-on-girl, girl-on-self and magnetic with attraction they dimly sense."
“fashion is mandatory, embodied, and recursive”.
i totally agree with this.
i think that at its most honest, fashion is a space of expression, a silent language, a visual form of an identity. but in its more toxic form, it becomes a machine of comparison, consumption, and categorization. a constant tension between who we want to be and the fear of never being enough. choosing an identity (as fashion often seems to ask us to do) it can feel exciting at first, like discovering a new version of yourself, but when that identity stops feeling true, changing becomes more difficult. because you don’t just let go of clothes or a look but you let go of who you thought you were.
reading this also made me wonder of this: what does it mean to choose an identity in a system that’s constantly offering us new ones to perform and consume? sincerely, sometimes i feel like the very act of choosing becomes performative—and other times, i’m not even sure whether i’m choosing freely.
100000% agree
“you have to wear clothes most of the time and the clothes you wear send a message to other people” thank you for this brilliant analysis that can be summed up to a single sentence we all already implicitly understand. Looks you can’t opt in to good writing, either. Sorry :(
how about you opt into being a nice person :) ily
A profound statement when supported by the rest of the writing. Perhaps you can’t “read”.
to an idiot, any statement is profound
this phenomenon is so dense it often folds into self-contradictions as -- even at a very young age -- it jibes with often unconscious body images. Which I mention in context of something I'm trying to write about Catholic school uniforms: "Amid the layers of gazes – boy-on-girl, girl-on-girl, girl-on-self and magnetic with attraction they dimly sense."
layers and layers of gazes
🔥