LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD, DO GOOD Part 6: Introducing Wearapy
An inspiring series on developing a style that expresses who you are, an enjoyable relationship with your clothes, and the rewarding satisfaction of making sustainable fashion choices.
By Helen Redfern, founder and creative director of Green Heart Collective and manager of the Green Heart shop on Gateshead High Street. Helen combines her passion for clothes with a passion for the health of this wonderful world in which we live. Speaking from her personal experience of exploring her own style, Helen aims to inspire others to develop the confidence to express their identity and values through what they wear in a fun and affirming way.
Introducing Wearapy
Wearapy is not a word I warm to but the concept it represents is one I fully endorse and that’s the therapeutic power of what we wear. Clothes really do have the power to lift our mood or reinforce our low mood. The right choice of clothes can work like therapy: when we look good, we feel good.
However, I concede that that doesn’t always work. Sometimes all we feel able to do is dress to reflect our low mood and of course, that is OK for a while. If we fall into a period of low mood and low self esteem, caring about ourselves and our appearance is one of the first things that goes. We comment about how someone has ‘let themselves go’. Think about Part 1 of this series and how we discovered the link between identity and clothes. When someone ‘lets themselves go’ and takes no care over what they wear, they lose that sense of identity and who they are. They wear shapeless oversized clothing that hides their body shape and neutral colours that make them blend into the background. They do not want to be seen or appreciated. We all have days like that. Unfortunately for some people, those days stretch into weeks and even months.
Honouring and reflecting your current state of mind is entirely valid. If someone close to you dies and you reach for black to express your grief, wear black for as long as you want. Whether you are suffering from depression, grief or trauma, there will usually come a point where you are ready to move out of this dark place. When you desire to make this positive shift, it’s time to dress how you want to feel rather than how you are feeling in this present moment.
When I wear my pale cropped jeans and colourful crocheted top, I feel playful.
When I wear a jacket, I feel more professional/capable.
When I wear a dress, I feel more beautiful.
When I wear green, I feel optimistic.
When I wear velvet, I feel comforted.
When I wear soft fabrics like cupro, I feel relaxed.
This may seem like a foreign language to you right now. You may never have considered the power of your clothes to lift your mood. It will take time and a lot of experimentation (and mistakes - if you want to call them mistakes. I prefer ‘learning opportunities’ and the reward is too great not to risk getting it wrong a few times along the way) to navigate the relationship between your emotions and your wardrobe. The good news is it's fun!
“Survey data has found that over 96% of people ‘reported a change in their emotional state with a change in their style of dressing.’” Page 96, Big Dress Energy by Shakaila Forbes-Bell. The stats don’t lie. This whole chapter on Wearapy is fantastic if you want to delve deeper.
Lean into it. Believe the theory and test it for yourself. Allow your clothes to work their magic. If you knew beyond any doubt that wearing clothes that made you look and feel great was the equivalent of taking a happiness pill, you would surely invest some time, energy and money into it, wouldn’t you? The only way you’ll know is to try it and see.
Here are six personal reflections that may help you to start on your own wearapy journey.
1. I’m not an advocate for having a signature style. I have an eclectic wardrobe. I dress for the day ahead, depending on the occasion, the role I am to play, my mood and the season/weather. I have no fixed rules about colour, fabric, style etc. I wear what I fancy wearing. I love to have a wide variety of garments to choose from in a range of colours, fabrics and styles - all preloved of course. If anything, that is my signature style: PRELOVED.
Wear whatever you want. Switch it up. Surprise yourself. Experiment. Live a little. Play.
2. Play. That’s a keyword. I don’t take this whole process too seriously. If there is no joy in choosing what to wear each day, then why bother? I don’t overthink it. I lie in bed each morning, reflect on the day ahead and then go with my heart in selecting an outfit for the day. I saw an Instagram post the other day that advised standing in front of a mirror for 15 minutes scrutinising your outfit to create the perfect styling. It described styling as hard work. It sounds it, doesn’t it? I’m not up for that level of work, I have to say. Getting dressed each day should not be a stressful experience. Definitely not about self criticism and putting yourself down.
I guess I’m saying to hold loosely to your choice, be curious throughout the day about how you feel about your choice, and learn something from it.
3. What happens on those days when you’re not feeling it? All the more reason to wear it, that’s my advice! Sundays are my day for down dressing and that is definitely not always a positive thing. I think wearing slouchy clothes makes me feel more slouchy, more lethargic and less motivated. I have identified the happy clothes in my wardrobe and on a sad day, I force myself to reach for them and let them work their magic. It’s hard to feel blue in yellow!
Embrace the concept of happy clothes. You never know where it might take you.
4. Every day is a dress day. I have no clothes that I save for special occasions. Sometimes as I walk through the centre of Gateshead to work, I think I must be the most over-dressed person in the town centre! I don’t care. Clothes are for the wearing, for enjoying. If a lovely dress brings me pleasure (and even brings other people pleasure too), then why not? If you’ve seen the film ‘Mrs Harris goes to Paris’, you’ll know exactly what I mean. Why not wear a Christian Dior gown to a local tea dance?
Don’t save things for best. Life is too short. Embrace over-dressing. Who defines what is over-dressing anyway?
5. I can’t begin to explain the positive boost I get when I pull on a pair of running trousers, a sports bra and fitted vest top. Not my best look, but my body feels so empowered and energised. Obviously with the anticipation of actually doing exercise and the endorphins and self esteem vibes that accompany it, but also the positive comforting experience of the compression (think swaddling a tiny baby. They do it for a reason.) Wearing tighter, fitted clothing (not uncomfortably tight or digging in though) is actually a sensory boost. Sensing your own body in the present brings a sense of grounding and safety. Think about it.
Wearing baggy, shapeless clothes may seem like the ultimate in comfort, but even a thicker pair of leggings can help you find comfort in compression. Give it a go.
6. Nostalgia. As I get older, nostalgia means more and more to me. To be honest, I’ve always been one of those people who’ve loved buying items in charity shops and imagining a backstory for them. I would try on fur coats at vintage sales and have an internal conversation with them about where they have been and what they have seen. I find buying something with a sense of history very grounding, like the item itself is rooting me in history and a sense of place and time. The joy I get from extending the life of a garment and giving it a new opportunity to shine is wonderful. Obviously, wearing my mum’s dress or my friend’s cheetah print coat is an even better feeling, connecting me with them when they are no longer here in person. Even wearing an item that has been worn by myself for a special occasion or holiday in the past can bring up good memories that raise a smile in the present.
Whichever way you do it, try adding a sense of the past into your wardrobe to embrace nostalgic vibes. That shift away from valuing new and shiny and perfect above all else will be a positive.
Action Point
Wherever you are in your wearapy journey, move on a step further in building a relationship with your clothes. Identify your happy outfits and create a special place for them in your wardrobe. Browse the secondhand shops for items that make you smile. Experiment to discover what works for you. You are unique and your wearapy collection will be uniquely suited to you.
Talk to me about what you’ve discovered. I’m so excited for you and would love to hear how you’re getting on. Come into the shop in one of your happy outfits or email me at helen@greenheartcollective.uk
Read More Look Good Feel Good Do Good
Part 4: Manipulated by the fashion industry?
Photo Credit
Sarah Winslett
