You Are What You Wear

Fashion may not be as important as other fields, but there's no denying the power it has to change you and the world around you.

If I was asked to describe fashion, say, when I was in high school, I probably would have used adjectives like superficial and intimidating. Why, maybe because I was partly naive and partly unimpressed with the state of the fashion scene in our country back then. Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about whether the designs were good or not. It's just that there wasn't anything special; and by that I mean, something more than brands merely providing people options for the basic necessity of clothing.

Photo not mine.

It seemed to me like fashion was nothing more than about wearing what people thought was beautiful and trendy. And sadly, this creative outlet was (and sometimes still is) used as a way to fit in, to be "in," a reason to be thought of as "cool." Some use it as a status symbol of sorts; a way to elevate their social standing.

But times have changed in a major way, and so has fashion. The great thing about the fashion we see, know, and experience now is that from lifting one's social status, the end result has turned towards social awareness, even social change.

If years ago, people would buy clothes based on style, quality, and price alone; today, the cause or advocacy a brand is championing also counts in consumers' decision-making. Competition is stiff. And we've reached a point where almost all imaginable styles have been done, making originality an extinct edge. Shoppers are now wiser, patronizing and supporting brands that are also aligned with their personal beliefs or advocacies and base their purchases on the background story of the products.

As fashion designer Gianni Versace said, "Don't be into trends. Don't make fashion own you. You decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way you live." Fashion is often defined as a form of self-expression; you are what you wear, and what you wear speaks volumes about your character and your lifestyle.

With more and more brands coming out with collections borne out of noteworthy causes, I'll definitely never see fashion the same way again. I've come to appreciate the power of the industry I once thought of as superficial. Fashion can bring people together and make creative minds meet in order to work on the industry's betterment. The success of all these initiatives and efforts lies in the number of people willing to join the movement. Are you in? comments