For a long time, I struggled with how my identity, self-worth, and confidence were tied or at least felt tied, to the clothes I wore. In my day-to-day life, I see so many people who are incredibly fashionable, and instantly, an image forms in my mind of the kind of person they are and the lifestyle they might have. But it isn’t just clothing that shapes these impressions; it’s also how someone carries themselves, how they interact with others, their interests, and their mannerisms.
I think style can reflect a person’s identity, and at the same time, I think it can’t. What I have come to realise is that fashion is best used as a tool to communicate something about ourselves before we even speak, rather than something that defines us. Being fashionable doesn’t necessarily require a lot of money, though there are moments when the fabrics or the brands someone wears may illustrate their socio-economic status. In truth, we are not what we wear, yet at the same time, we communicate who we are through what we wear. What a paradox.
Laura T. Di Summa, in her book A Philosophy of Fashion Through Film: On the Body, Style, and Identity (2021), offers a helpful way of thinking about this. She writes that “identity can be seen and investigated, to put it simply, when looking at the narratives through which it is weaved.” Identity, then, isn’t fixed; it is constantly unfolding. She reminds us that “there is no identity without room for the mundane, the futile, for impossible visions of who we may be; there is no identity without room for mistakes and masks and, I shall say, dresses that suit us poorly.”
I find this perspective refreshing because it allows fashion to be more than just surface-level. For some of us, experimenting with style, whether that’s a new haircut, a bold colour, or even an outfit outside of our comfort zone, is a way of testing and discovering ourselves. As Di Summa puts it, “trying on clothes can become a way of testing oneself: checking boundaries; it can be a way to imaginatively try on, with the clothes, a different identity.”
Not everyone agrees with this link between fashion and identity. Thinkers like Lars Svendsen have dismissed fashion as frivolous at best, or even a threat to authenticity. Yet when I reflect on my own journey, I can’t help but see fashion as a tool, imperfect, yes, but powerful. Through which we express, test, and even reimagine who we are. For me, fashion has the ability to both elevate my confidence and, at times, diminish it. I believe we should give ourselves permission to have fun with fashion, and as we grow and become more aware of our identity, we can shape style and expression to reflect who we are and who we are becoming.
So true “For me, fashion has the ability to both elevate my confidence and, at times, diminish it.”