Fashion as an Act of Rebellion
I’ve spent my whole entire life moving around, and because of this have been privy to an innumerable amount of different lives and the diverse collection of people living them.
Following a path from Massachusetts / California to Florida to the United Kingdom to Texas to Colorado to Vermont to Maine and, finally, to Illinois (can I hear a little commotion for my beloved Chicago?!), I feel as though I have developed a deep and varied sense of the human condition. Particularly, the culture and behaviours surrounding our clothing choices.
The University of Vermont’s population is as unique as they come. In a strange and beautiful way, it doesn’t feel like the real world here. Burlington is disconnected somehow. Someone whisks by me on an electric scooter with an elaborately embroidered cape on and I don’t even think twice about it anymore… What a wonderful thing!
The amount of people I’ve met that sew their own clothes, have thrifted everything in their wardrobes, and / or work on crocheting and knitting projects in lecture is fantastic. I’ve actually cried over the sweetness of it before. You can’t take two steps on campus without running into a second hand clothing stall or seeing someone with a vintage sweater you would commit crimes to have. People are constantly borrowing, trading, upcycling, mending, and recycling their clothing items. Oftentimes it’s not even consciously to save the Earth, but rather is just a built-in part of the culture here. It gives me an immense amount of hope for our future.
In a world where SHEIN and Temu reign supreme and have normalised child labour and $2 blouses, every stitch you add to repair a piece you already own is an act of defiance.
Fashion is often looked down on as a superficial subject. Skirting past the fact that this is undeniably due to the fact that women are the catalysts of our fashion industry and a disdain of fashion is representative of society’s general disdain for women… It is my humble opinion that we are nothing without this unspoken language of trend and fabric.
Regardless of where you’re from or where you’re going, you can feel what is right. It’s a ripple, then it’s a wave.
*The highlighted book page is from my copy of Orsola de Castro’s “Loved Clothes Last” book.
I actively find myself trying to dress more like my friends when I’m missing them. My favourite tops were borrowed from my girls and never returned because, “It looks so much better on you, honey!”. My most worn denim mini skirt was a gift from my childhood best friend, Anna, on my most recent visit with her – she thrifted it but thought the stripe details on the pockets were made for my wardrobe. A patchwork dress picked up by one of my loves, Addie, when they were out thrifting (because it reminded her of me) is my most frequently complimented item. It’s a true genuine act of love when I’m cold and someone gives me their jumper.
I feel a swell in my heart when I spot a friend on campus wearing the shirt I got them for their birthday. My friend, Becca, recently trusted me to repair a hole in her most-worn pair of jeans that she got secondhand from our friend Taylor years prior. I’ve been allowed to add patches and drawings to various peoples’ accessories in the past, as a charming little gift from me to them! I’m constantly looking out for pieces that remind me of the people in my life. It’s all love.
We are but an amalgamation of all the people we adore and have ever adored. And this comes to fruition in what we find ourselves putting on our backs every day.
The fashion industry is an ever-growing billion dollar industry, because it is a communication platform and a representation of human connection. We let people know our music taste by wearing certain items, we show who we love through age old call-signals, and we represent the very foundation of who we ARE through our clothing. It’s how we find each other — how we know each other.
The longer your clothes stay in your wardrobe, the more you they become. I urge you to carry on trading with your friends, finding pieces from the 90s that remind you of your momma, and turning thrifted scarves into new tote bags for trips to the farmers market. You are unique because you are everyone. This is your power.
