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Fashion Barriers: How Mental Illness Can Affect What We Wear
Mental illness in modern society Mental illness is currently at the forefront of many conversations. Its importance is being more widely recognised than ever before, with people working to really understand what it actually is. Of course, mental health is a complex thing. However, it can be described on a basic level as our psychological and emotional wellbeing. One of the reasons why it has become such a huge topic of conversation in modern society is that the number of mental health issues appear to be rising. According to statistics on Mind’s website, the amount of people with common mental health problems went up by 20% between 1993 and 2014.…
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Fashion and Mental Health: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Are you comfortable in your own clothes? I’m asking because the garments we wear CAN have an affect on our mental health in both positive and negative ways. Getting dressed in the morning: it’s a task everyone does daily, some more consciously than others. Whether that be getting dressed for work, choosing a ‘cute top and jeans’ for lunch with some friends or maybe dressing up with a pair of heels for dinner date in the evening. With each and every outfit we select (intentionally or unintentionally), we are communicating non-verbally to the outside world. What we wear is who we are! Fashion is a way for society to express…
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Fashion and Mental Health: A Menacing Relationship
As little as 10 years ago, mental health issues such as depression and anxiety were considered taboo. If somebody was suffering from mental illness, they’d not be taken seriously. However, as time has progressed, so have we as people. Mental health issues are now so common that we’ve had to change our approach to it. As humans, we are more compassionate than ever before. We are more supportive than ever before. We are more understanding than ever before. Thankfully, there are more mental health services available to us both online and on our doorsteps. But why are there so many people suffering from mental health problems? In the UK, 1…
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Battling Inner Demons: The Pressure of the Fashion Industry
Fashion culture is undoubtedly a test of stamina as much as it is of ability. It presents us with a glossy facade: the world of glamour. Occupations in fashion are hugely romanticised and the lifestyle is considered an illustrious fantasy. Yet, its focus on the superficial means that for those working in creative industries, their work is closely associated with identity and worth. Therefore, those with insecurities or vulnerabilities in regard to identity or value are at risk of experiencing life-encroaching anxiety. As a result of the competitiveness of the industry, little attention is paid to the issue of mental health for its employees. Fashion is notoriously crippling to the…
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Five Models Who Have Overcome Mental Illness
Mental illnesses are a wide range of conditions that affect how you think, your mood and behaviour. These illnesses are battled by millions of individuals each day. People are quick to believe that those who have successful lives are shielded from being mentally ill, that isn’t always the case. Mental illnesses do not discriminate. Those with fame and living a luxurious lifestyle can suffer just as much as the average person. In recent years more people have been speaking up about their internal struggle. Conversations about illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders have started to become more common. This helps fight the stigma associated with mental health and…
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Fake It ‘Til You Make It: Creating Confidence With Our Clothes
Stumbling into a 12th step recovery program at age twenty-seven, I “came to” rife with fear, guilt, shame. Self-confidence was in the gutter. I hadn’t lost much else as I hadn’t possessed the skills and mental health to achieve anything of value to lose. There wasn’t much in the way of a wardrobe. I waited tables and outside of that uniform, it was the grunge era. My clubbing outfits were sparse ensembles of plaid mini skirts, flannels, tank tops and Doc Marten boots. I plunged into the “stream of life”. Participating as a new (albeit raw) self-aware adult, I found the current – without any buffers or numbing agents – to…
