Finding Freedom
Fall/Winter 2012
I am at a stage where I am still building the foundations of my wardrobe, and although it is slowly beginning to take shape, it is still very much focused on those basic elements that are important to me. However in approaching even the most simple of wardrobe decisions in a thoughtful manner, it is remarkable how much it widens your appreciation. In realizing the dazzling array of possibilities, even in the face of realizing that you yourself yearn for something incredibly specific, you come to appreciate a variety you never previously paid much attention to. Once you think about trying to specify exactly what it is that you need and want, you realize just how many options there are.
The freedom of having a concise desire in what direction you want your wardrobe to evolve in (my wardrobe will only ever be in a finished state when I myself am in a finished state, which is to say when I stop breathing) is that you can appreciate more without having to worry about whether or not it is for you. I can admire more and more, but when it comes to what I will personally buy and wear, I can comfortably dismiss the vast majority. It is not about being precise in detail in so much as it is about being precise in aesthetic, design philosophy and ethics (sustainability is for example unfortunately too often forgotten in discussions about fashion). I think self-discipline allows you to cultivate something more personal and something with more personal meaning. In wanting less I find appreciation in more, as confusing as that sounds.
You start from the very foundation of the idea of a garment and build your frame outwards. A sweater is a sweater, but choosing the sweater you have to buy and wear is an important decision. It is in that moment a consideration you have to explore in its fullest, even if the outcome is one that will be different tomorrow than it was today. You consider textile composition, textile characteristics, hand and feel, weaving technique, drape, shape, construction, and more, all the while considering aesthetics, ethics, design philosophy, whether it works on your body, whether it works with your wardrobe, whether it fulfils the function you require. It sounds complicated when you write it down, but most are decisions you make without even realizing it - you see it, you try it on, you love it. Being able to track the thought processes you are able to better understand your own approach to dress and I am incredibly fascinated by that relationship. I want to understand the dialectic between me, my body, and my clothing.
I am not yet at a stage where I can incorporate a Missoni knitwear piece into my wardrobe, but once my wardrobe is at that stage, I have a feeling that I will be returning to this collection, and the two previous, to pick up a piece. Sometimes the thrill of the hunt is almost reason enough to go after a garment, especially when looking back.
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