This month we celebrate Freedom Day on the 27th, I thought it fitting that we also celebrate our freedom to express ourselves through the clothes and accessories that we wear. Fashion forms part of our life from the time we are born, because it is a tool that is used to showcase our gender, tribe, tradition, morals, religion and everything in-between. Therefore this week, we look at how fashion can also be used to tell our story in expressing who we are to the world.

From the time you are born into this world the first thing that is used to label who you are to the world is the clothes that they dress you in. You might not know or notice this but from a young age fashion, clothes and accessories, start to tell a story of who you are. Sometimes the story that is being told might not be true to you, but as you grow older you have the opportunity to use fashion to express yourself and own your own truth through the clothes and accessories that you wear.

Fashion is a very important tool of communicating who you are and if you don’t take full advantage of that tool, it can sometimes paint a picture that can contradict you to us (people around you). Ever watch some of these fashion makeover shows on TV, where they show how what you look like can sometimes put people off? We tend to find these shows funny and maybe a few of us will learn something new. But to me these shows give a small glimpse into helping us understand that how you portray yourself through your clothes does, in fact, have an impact on how people perceive you.

In celebrating Freedom Day here in South Africa, we are to also celebrate the freedom that we have to actually express ourselves through what we wear. We sometimes take it for granted, but there are a lot of people around the world who would love the opportunity that we have in this country to fully express ourselves. In a technological and modern world we live in, fashion is an important tool to show who we are, and knowing that we have the freedom to do just that, why not take full advantage of it.

The stories that we tell the world every day through our clothes and accessories need to be meaningful to us which is why you need to take care when selecting what you wear daily. I have done many blogs on finding personal style or how to shop for things that work for you, because I see the importance of looking your best every day. It’s not about looking good for the job interview alone or for that special date, it’s about looking your best every day even when going to the grocery store because you never know who you might meet and the story your clothes could be telling them.

Use your clothes to tell the best story possible of yourself because the message that you send through your clothes sometimes speaks loader then the words you use. While we have this freedom to express ourselves, don’t you want to get the most out of it?

Tell us what freedom of expression in a fashion context mean to you?

Written by Phoebe Sibomana

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