Me Made Reflection
Me Made May 2022 - tick, I was hoping to check in mid-month with how my reflection/challenge was going, but as the month progressed, some pretty big trends emerged… and sometimes it is better to reflect in one big hit. So here we are, June (the very end of June, whoops), and one thing I have noticed, I wear me made everyday!
How do I wear me made everyday? It’s pretty simple, I stopped buying clothing unless there was an (ongoing) immediate need that could not be accomplished (sewn) by my current stash (this has been heavily dictated by my student budget while completing my PhD, and my pickiness when it comes to the sustainability of an off the rack (OTR) garment, and to be honest, I have developed a negative relationship with OTR as a result of so many years of restraint). It has lead to a wardrobe that is heavily me made, but lacks cohesiveness, is one that is very utilitarian in nature and simple in colour.
I tracked my me made garments worn throughout the month, and as I was working from home, and not required to be “business appropriate” everyday, very little thought went into my daily outfits, they needed to serve the needs of the day; errands, weather, and comfort - utilitarian. As the month progressed, the same outfits were worn, with very little experimentation.
What has this shown me? I have very little emotional relationship with my clothing and style and I put very little into my appearance, if the clothes fit, tick. I also do not rotate my wardrobe, sticking to what has been worn recently. I also noticed that some very basic elements in my wardrobe were lacking in variety, such as one very comfortable and highly worn pair of track pants, but no other track pant makes in different fabric type/colour or pattern. I also noticed elements such as bras, were worn out to a point where more than I care to admit (cough cough 2/3) should be disposed of, however my aversion to purchasing OTR and knowing I had bra making supplies in my stash (but not the time), overruled the dire need to purchase some replacements.
It has become pretty clear - my relationship with my wardrobe needs to change. And also my relationship with sewing needs to change.
Its awesome that I have a me made wardrobe, but does it reflect me?
One thing I have been wrestling with personally is who am I? This has resulted from a post PhD identity crisis, what do I want to do with my life? also just a general lack of identity, or an identity that has been lost in the business of meeting external expectations of myself. This lack of identity is mirrored in my approach to style/appearance and my wardrobe.
So how do I change this?
Firstly, I need to challenge myself to express myself each day through my wardrobe/style and appearance (my hair doesn’t have to be in a bun or pony tail every day because its easy, if I want to wear a summer dress in winter, it shouldn’t stop me, but maybe some merino under-layers are required).
I also need to make time for the creative elements of sewing (and knitting), and not the utilitarian, I have a gap in my wardrobe lets churn this out approach. To change this I firstly need to conscientiously make time, and this time should be creative, yes I will need to chuck in some basics that need replacing, but the process still needs to be an expression of me, and I should not be afraid to express myself and experiment with different styles (that may or may not work). This is a conscience choice I will need to make everyday.
So where do I go from here, well tomorrow I am going to experiment with my clothing choice for the day, shop my wardrobe and have some fun. I am also going to consciously carve some creative time (sewing, knitting, weaving etc) that is not planned but just flows as an expression of where I am that day. This is going to be a challenge, and I know it is going to be hard, but something needs to change.
