Clothes are more than just clothes. Yes they offer form and function, but I think something that is often overlooked when it comes to the relationship we have with our clothes, is that of comfort and safety.
The skin is our largest organ, so it makes sense how we feel physically in what we wear is important, but I also think our emotional response to what we wear is of equal importance.
In May of this year I was diagnosed with depression, something I haven’t experienced since my early twenties, but this time i’ve been more cognizant of the role my clothes have played during this difficult season, and it’s been interesting to notice certain themes within the pieces I found myself reaching for.
For me, depression feels like a shut down, a switch goes off in my head where I find it near impossible to make decisions, feel excitement or feel motivated to do anything, even everyday tasks. There is sadness, confusion and at times a numbness that is hard to explain.
On the really hard days, it was a miracle if I even got dressed at all (or even got out of bed). On days when I was low I just wanted simple outfits. And when I look at my Indyx app, the biggest theme I notice is I stick to black and white or outfits that are generally a neutral block colour. On the low days I choose easy, I choose items that don’t fit a particular occasion. (When you look at June’s monthly report on Indyx, you’ll see a lot more all black outfits, because it’s my go to).
Recording my outfits using the Indyx app I can actually tell very quickly which days were ‘good days’ and which days were not so good days by the outfits I choose.
If we compare the month of May (I was diagnosed with depression at the end of May) you can see there’s slightly more colour, and there’s more experimenting with accessories, and pattern, vs the month of June where you’ll see a lot more black and white outfits, as well as a lot of outfit repeating. I also think in May I had used my clothes as a way to distract myself from what I was really feeling, vs once everything was official and I had come to terms with the fact I was unwell, I gave myself permission to no longer have to pretend everything was fine.
Getting dressed became a win I could get my head around during this time, and it’s interesting to notice how I did feel differently on the days I wore something that made me feel somewhat put together, even if they still had the comfort factor of pyjamas.
Getting dressed is a tool to find my way back to myself, and it continues to be a very powerful tool in changing my mood, even if it’s only momentarily. 10 Things I did that made a big difference when I had the energy, and was in a head space to be more intentional with what I wore included:
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