Fashion! It’s fabulous! It’s a form of expression which provides limitless possibilities for every taste and style. Whether it’s current, vintage, weird and wacky, or some other wonderful concoction, fashion is all about individualism, creativity and the freedom to make a statement right?
Now, I want to emphasise that word, FREEDOM!
Are we actually exercising that wonderful right to dress in a way that we feel portrays who we are or does the influence of Media subtly seep into our choices, tainting our perception? This is something I was challenged with recently.
How many of us I wonder, can recall that feeling after a night out, when those gorgeous new heels that promised to be our most worthy companions, swearing to accentuate our curves and pledging to make our legs look longer, actually ended up crippling us, causing so much restriction that when we took them off it felt like our feet needed a year’s worth of spa therapy just to recover from a few hours of dancing?
I also wonder how many of you reading this have been recently caught up in the new corset training whim. Yes, the Kardashians have once again grabbed our attention through social media by creating yet another fashion craze using antiquated undergarments for “waist training”. I can honestly say that I’ve never tried it, but after hearing friends of mine telling me of the discomfort they endured and restrictions they had to put up with, I’d rather be free to breathe as nature intended and sit down without feeling as if my body is going to implode, whether or not this suffering would give me an insanely enviable hip, waist ratio!
‘Pain is beauty’ right? Debatable. I mean seriously? Surely fashion is meant to make us women feel empowered and free to express our own individualism, not restrict us! We shouldn’t feel limited in how many steps we can take on a night out because our heels are too high and we most certainly shouldn’t feel trapped and cramped inside a corset. Why is it that these trends actually hinder us?
They lie to us, claiming they will boost our confidence and self esteem, when actually all they are essentially doing is confining and limiting, preventing all who fall for their seduction to express their true inner selves. Why do we feel that we have to go to these extremes in order to feel appealing? What’s appealing about blistered, red raw feet or an inability to breath?
Similarly, these entrapments of fashion even impact on what we eat! How many women do you know who have complained how they’re having to restrict what they consume during the day in order to squeeze into a tight dress later on that evening? Again, we are associating restricting and limiting ourselves with feeling attractive physically.
I’m not saying that we should NEVER wear heels or tight clothing, but women should NOT feel like they NEED to conform in order to make them selves more desirable and attractive. It is more important to feel comfortable in your own skin and project a confidence; and this confidence comes from within, not from a platform sole or high heel which makes us a few inches taller. If you want to go out dancing with the girls, why not wear a pair of comfy shoes that will allow you the freedom to do your own thing in the club without stopping to sit down every 5 minutes complaining about the pain in your toes. Fashion as worn by the rich and famous has influenced us ladies throughout the ages but surely it should not be about following the crowd:embracing our own individuality and choice is a true expression of who we are. On the catwalk, or celebrity, fashion is displayed as a beautiful art. Many models, even when adorning underwear, stroll down the catwalk in heels, huge heels! It’s great that we can draw inspiration from such displays but I believe that our own style is also valuable and a projection of our own individuality. If you are confident in your choices you could be the latest trend, so be brave and strut your stuff ladies. In the words of L’Oreal “you’re worth it!”