While typing “dress to express” I got a little flashback, I used this title once for a blogpost two years ago. But those three words say so much that I don’t mind writing about it again. The most common proverb is dress to impress but why would we do that? It just points out the fact that fashion is superficial and that the only reason why we would wear clothes is because we have to make a good impression on others (besides the primary needs of keeping us warm and covered of course).

I always saw fashion as a way of expressing myself, a way to translate who I am at the inside to the outside. It’s a creative process of playing with shapes, sizes, colors and fabrics. What others think of what I’m wearing is a side issue, feeling good in my outfit is what matters most to me. Compliments are always a plus but never the main goal.

 

 

A great example for me is Leandra Medine from the online platform Man Repeller. She just wears whatever she wants without caring about anyone’s opinion. And it works! Her outfits are always a bit funny, sometimes over the top but it never feels like she has been trying too hard. Of course I don’t know her personally but she looks like a down-to-earth lady, a bit with crazy a great sense of humor. And that reflects in her clothing style.

Traditional dress codes from tribes all around the world are also a beautiful illustration of expression, like the Ethiopian woman from the Omo Valley on the picture. She probably didn’t have an entire mall, Fedex delivery at home and an unlimited credit card to go shopping. For me this image is one of the purest things, to say it in a superficial way: she created a look by using natural resources only. You know I sometimes envy those women, it must be a hard and unpredictable life but being surrounded by nature and living without that constant hurricane of information around your head must be goddamn relaxing sometimes!

 

 

Before I completely change the subject 🙂 (clearly need a break but let’s keep that for another post). Another source of inspiration for me are the street style pics from all around the world. Every culture has different habits and I like to see how this reflects in the local expression of fashion. In South Africa I saw a lot of young girls with a very own clothing style and I’m also a big fan of how Japanese women dress. Maybe it’s about time to book another trip 😉 Traveling definitely enriches the mind.

 

Images from Vogue, Eric Lafforgue