Lately I’ve been questioning the way I dress. I don’t feel the stores have the clothes that I’m looking for, the ones that will represent who I am.

Nor I know exactly what I am looking for... I don’t belong to any ethnic group that uses a traditiional costume on a daily basis, like a “sari” or a “huipil”, and since I work at home, nor do I have a “dress code” or have to wear a “uniform”.

How do you decide what to wear?

Originally published in the Imagining Ourselves exhibition.

I tend to create a mix of clothing that represents my mixed heritage and is comfortable. Not having to wear a dress code or a uniform is the ultimate freedom - play dress up for awhile until you feel comfortable!

The line is definetely blurred concerning the reasons for dressing up. Is it for others? is iot for my self? is it a daily opportunity ot express how I feel, without uttering a word? For me it is affected by how I feel. there are fases where I open my closet and I see just memories, clothes as if of someone departed. I tend to give clothes to charity shops when this happens. I do not buy much at all. I would love to be able to make my own clothes. I find that extremelly powerful. My mother has always been extremelly gifted in that. I find it a sad irony I am not able to sow. But this might say a lot of the hidden flaws in our relationship. I find clothes, regardless of fashion tendencies a powerful way to communicate what one feels. Although in terms of feminity and my own sensuality I always feel sexier and more comfortable without them.

I share much of Tamera Jane's view. When I was younger, I followed trends more closely. Now, I "dress up" in a combination of thrift store remakes, and things that I have bought from boutique stores that I keep forever. And there are those things that I buy on a whim. I love handmade clothes that are unique. In the morning, I look in my closet and pull out what feels right.

As i grow older I find I require comfort and simplicity in my clothing; in a way I did not as a young woman. I wear pants or a long skirt and some kind of top. Everything I own is black now so I never have a problem matching clothing items.

I shaved my head when my sister began chemotherapy and have never made the decision to grow my hair back. I like being bald.

I like who I am, I'm enjoying the journey of my life and I don't want or need the baggage of appearance!

The way I dress is all about comfort, occasion, and being confident in what I am wearing. When buying clothes, I not only keep my clothing needs & style in mind, but also pay attention to price, fabric quality, and good workmanship.

I once felt very much like my clothes were not "fitting" me (int the personality sense), and like they were impeading me from a sense of personal freedom. In fact, the image that came to mind was one of being coccooned in this layered rock-like egg: I didn't relate to my clothing because in fact, all the negativity that mass-produced, brand name clothing stood for: low-wage workers, poor working conditions, environmental degredation, the homogenization of identity, etc., was making me feel that I was as much a prisoner as enabler of a dysfunctional economic system as it related to something so personal as what you cover your skin with.

I would feel proud and more ethically at ease to wear clothes that came with a personal social meaning. Whether this means buying second-hand, making/decorating you own, or buying directly from the people who make and earn their living from selling clothes. The last option is the hardest to come by, unless you are traveling and like to buy "ethnic" style-clothes as I do. But I'm hoing this will become more common with "mainstream" clothes as well. Clothes with stories and meaning feel much better on the skin and psyche.

this is really cool. . .

I've never thought much about how my choices to dress are affected by my social consciousness or even how I desire to represent myself. However, this thread has caused me to think more about where I shop for clothing, as I do for any other commercial product.

During college, I made an effort to become a more socially-conscious buyer. For instance, when buying a purse/handbag, I purchased from Fair Trade Marketplace instead of heading to my nearest local mall, and I feel all the more "myself" (usually identifying as socially-conscious, environmentally aware, etc.) for it as I walk down the street (sometimes with my girlfriends who possess their Coach bags and brand-name leather purses).

I'm still wondering how I can make better choices as a buyer/consumer in this world.