How To Use Fashion As A Path To Self-Discovery

Slow fashion guides us on the path to self-discovery. It gives us room to express our innermost selves. To share our souls with the world like beacons of hope.

Fashion is amazing. Most of the time. The true spirit of fashion is pure and full of unadulterated joy, and that is what I’d like to inspire people to find their way back to. The true pursuit of fashion is an exploration of the self. Therefore, it is an indispensable tool to reach self-discovery. I have seen it change people’s lives and it has changed my own.

The many dangers of fast fashion

Fast fashion is a threat to our environment, to animals and to human rights. Slow fashion, on the other hand, is well worth celebrating and pursuing. Furthermore, fashion doesn’t need to be fast to be of value. The opposite is true. When fashion is no longer fast, we can actually enjoy our clothes and our own self-expression more.

Let me explain. Fast fashion is not made to last. It is made to break. So the clothes, shoes and accessories that we are influenced into buying, to look like a certain individual or to be considered trendy, are often a waste of money and resources. Brand clothes – the ones that are mass-produced as fast fashion – are often grossly overpriced. Even though the seams can be off and the quality can be worse than what you could get for a few dollars on Shein.

Say goodbye to capitalism

But don’t get me wrong here. I do not support Shein in any way, shape or form. Shein is a manifestation of fast fashion and capitalism. Low-quality products that have been mass-produced without a single thought dedicated to sustainability, human rights or animal rights. Simply put, businesses like Shein, Wish, Temu and others like those are unreliable crooks that create more waste and more environmental impact. They use people who are barely getting by to mass-produce their products without a second thought. No garment or product is worth the ruin they cause.

The negative impacts of fast fashion are many and great. Fast fashion goes against everything that fashion stands for. Individuality, passion, creativity, artistry, self-expression and self-care. When we live above our means by overspending on items we don’t need, simply to be able to follow a trend and look and be like everybody else… We not only ruin our own finances, but we also set ourselves back and we betray our true selves. We sell ourselves, our very souls, to fit in. Even though we are all born to stand out.

Furthermore, those that appear to be fitting in are only masking themselves. It is a masquerade at best. No one is surprised by all the masked people around them because wearing a mask and hiding your true self to fit in has become the social norm of modern society.

The healing benefits

Fashion at its core is freedom. Freedom to express oneself. A means to self-discovery. When utilised properly, the healing benefits can be great. The benefits of allowing yourself to engage in self-care, to explore who you are and to discover what your passions are… Doing those things can truly save a person’s life. In comparison, neglecting to care for ourselves, masking and hiding our true selves away, can and often does kill us.

Style is not about following a trend that the fat cats decided would be profitable. Style is about finding yourself, realising who you are deep down and letting others in on the secret. “This is me.” That is what true style and fashion say about the wearer. Fashion should be creative, artistic and fun.

Remember when you were a kid and you were playing dress-up? That is what it is supposed to be like. It is important to take the time to play and find joy in everyday life. When we allow ourselves to enjoy things, they in turn become more enjoyable. Allow yourself to have fun. Experiment and journal or take photos to track the process.

Be honest with yourself.

Why are you wearing what you wear today?

Are you dressing to please yourself or to appease others?

When was the last time you allowed yourself to let loose and have fun with what you wear?

Having fun with what you wear allows you to express yourself, embrace your emotions and your deepest desires, explore what it is like to become someone else and through doing so, find out who you are meant to be. 

Finding yourself

If you start exploring your style and experimenting with clothes, without setting any boundaries at all, you will not only feel the freedom of living without restrictions. But you will quickly find out what kind of fashion makes you feel good, what doesn’t make you feel good, what makes you feel excited, alive or empowered. It is the absolute quickest way to figure out who you are and what you’re all about. Think of it like a treasure hunt. Be prepared to find anything and everything, and embrace it all. Embrace yourself.

Finding out what you like in terms of style will tell you more about yourself. The opinions of others that you have internalised. Your innermost insecurities. How you see yourself as well as who you want to be. But most importantly, you will find out who you truly are when all the layers have been peeled back. Not who people want you to be, or the version of yourself that people are most comfortable with. I am talking about your raw, unadulterated character and soul.

This is not easy. Looking at yourself and seeing yourself for the first time… I mean truly seeing yourself, which requires courage.

When you can let go of the must’s and the what ifs, and release other people’s expectations and opinions, that is when you will feel truly free.

Getting started with self-discovery

1. Decide & determine

Decide to start experimenting with fashion and self-discovery. Borrow other people’s clothes. Look to Pinterest for inspiration and create a board, or several boards, dedicated to your true self. Find clothes and accessories you like at flea markets, second-hand stores, vintage stores or online. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Mix and match, learn how to sew and add details or alterations yourself.

2. Declutter & deduce

Walk on the path to self-discovery. Start getting to know yourself as though you were a person you just met for the first time. Ask yourself questions. Listen to music and create playlists of music that you like. Note what you don’t like and ask yourself why. What is it that you dislike?

Do the same with your home. Declutter anything that doesn’t feel right or doesn’t spark joy. Go over everything you own, category by category, and figure out what you own for yourself and what you own because you are holding on to your fantasy self.

When you’ve done this, do the same with your wardrobe. Look at what you own. Who did you buy it for? Who did you wear it for? How does each outfit make you feel? Any garment that makes you feel physically uncomfortable, be it the fit, the colour or the texture, let it go. The garments, shoes or accessories that make you feel negative emotions? Let them go. Anything that doesn’t feel right or feels even remotely limiting, let it go. Make sure that you only keep items that you feel good about.

Items that you hang on to for some time, items that are connected to a fantasy self, are only weighing you down. Your fantasy self is the person you want others to see you as. The person you may pretend to be. Or the person you hope you’d someday be. You need to let go of that person. Instead, love who you are.

3. Create your own style 

You should now know where your blocks lie, you know what you like and you know what feels right to you. The time has come to create your own style. Look at the Pinterest board/s you created. What do they say about the person behind them? What is that person like? That person is you. Let loose and let that person be free. Express who you are every day in every way. Be unapologetically you.

Seek inspiration anywhere and everywhere. From nature, from art, from your own life, from other people, other eras in fashion – wherever you like. You can and should cherrypick. Only include items that you love and feel represent who you are, in your wardrobe and in your home. Support small businesses. Have an artist make something for you. Alter your clothes. Add details, like little sprinkles of your soul. Be brave and have fun!

4. See yourself

Now that you are living a more authentic life, and know yourself better, let’s look at your style from the eyes of a stranger. The result of your self-discovery. Objectively speaking, if you saw someone wearing what you now know is your style, what would you think of them? What does that style say about the person wearing it?

If you’re smiling right now, then you’ve truly created your own style that is true to your soul. A style that screams “This is me”. Well done. And if not? Then you go back to the drawing board. Finding yourself can take time. But it is and always will be worth it. The path to self-discovery never ends. It is always ongoing, twisting and turning, and there is always more to learn. More to discover. Take the time to discover who you are, and design your life around that person. You are the main character in your life. Not a stand-in.

5. Choose joy over trends and live your life

By knowing who you are and how you wish to portray yourself, you’ve come a long way. You also know how to dress your soul and create a life that is authentic and feels right to you. By experimenting freely with your style, and trying things out open-mindedly, you have permitted yourself to be honest. And through pursuing self-discovery, you began to be honest with yourself. You give yourself room to experience life, make mistakes and live freely, and that is amazing. Don’t let that freedom go for any reason.

Furthermore, trends come and go. The outside world will continue to try to manipulate you to spend more money, buy more and alter yourself to fit in. Don’t listen to any of it. The mid will say anything to make another sale.

Don’t listen to anyone who urges you to lock away your true self. Continue to have fun with your style, with your identity and with your life. Don’t take life so seriously. Choose joy and let yourself be happy.

Walk on the path to self-discovery and be free!