Fashion can be a great way to express yourself. Some people make clothes. Some people enjoy buying clothes, whether it’s shopping online or going into a physical store. The way somebody dresses communicates how they feel about themselves and what they want to communicate to the outside world. It’s not just about putting on fabric, but rather, it’s a way to show your character. If you want to have fun with fashion, you can try bright colours or different patterns, textures, or global fashion trends. Fashion can communicate or translate culture or feel comforting in its connection to memory or positive associations. Fashion can also be a way to show how you’re feeling and express any mental health concerns that you have. Sometimes a soft, cozy sweater, a specific colour, a weighted fabric, or a certain material can feel like emotional armour. Here are ways that fashion benefits your mental health:
Self-Expression
Fashion is a way to communicate who you are, and the more that you know your character and who you are, the better you are able to understand your emotions. Use fashion as a way to get in touch with the real you. Maybe you identify with a Punk Style? Perhaps you like to dress up in a Victorian way? There are many different styles that communicate who you are or want to be, and style is a way to express yourself or your mood to the world.
Communicating Feelings Through Fashion
Think about people who dress in Gothic clothing. They’re communicating their emotions. Some people may feel depressed, or they don’t want to be noticed, or the clothing functions as a defence mechanism, and that’s why they wear all black. Or perhaps they want to be dramatic, or it feels empowering to them to dress a certain way or wear all black. Some people want to dress up in a way that communicates fun, such as wearing sparkly clothing, to show that they’re feeling happy or to cultivate a sense of youthful joy. Others may experience sparkles as frenetic and chaotic or silly. Fashion can be very personal in this way. It can be used to say something without speaking, which for some, is a much more comfortable form of communication. Fashion is a great way to utilize self-expression and communicate emotions. You can also augment fashion with makeup. For example, if you dress in a Goth style, you might put on dark eyeliner or use smokey eyeshadow. Makeup can provide a wonderful way to express genuine emotions and identity as living art.
What’s Your Style and What Does It Say About You?
It can be freeing to get in touch with the real you through fashion or to escape it for a while, or to go on a journey of self-discovery through an evolving fashion sense. You can show what your favourite colours are. You can demonstrate what values are important to you. Maybe you like graphic tee-shirts that communicate political messages that matter to you. Fashion can be cathartic, and there is a connection between mental health and putting on clothing.
Learning about Your Style in Therapy
Going to therapy is a great way to understand your feelings. You can figure out how you feel about many different topics. Maybe you want to discuss how your fashion influences your mental health with your therapist? If you’re curious about mental health and want to learn more, you can always refer to different online resources that show you more about the topic. Make sure that you take care of your mental health, and part of that is learning how to express yourself, whether it’s in fashion or any other art form.
