Should We Go Naked?

In my introductions post awhile back, Christian asked a GREAT question:

Or to put it another way: Why can’t we simply express ourselves through our bodies?

Personally, the idea of negating clothes altogether threw me for a loop. After all, the way I dress is very much part of who I am and want to project to the world.

Indeed, beyond utility, clothes serve both a visual purpose & also one of communication. The line between can be blurred; some people are concerned with fashion as artistic creations, whereas others are more concerned with the impressions their style makes in public & what it says about them. Essentially, form vs. function, but…

Function as Communication.

My overarching view on clothing is that its meaning is derived from the choices you make. Your style choices express certain things about your personality and thought process—your identity. The why behind how you dress is more important than what you’re specifically wearing.

And yes, if you felt strongly enough about it, the absence of clothing can be an expression in itself. But this is where preconceived notions come into play. Many of us have an idea already of what certain things mean, and form conditioned responses to certain aesthetic triggers. For example, a topless man and a topless woman in public mean different things. (In that case, forget feminism- the spotlight is already on all the wrong things.)

What we aim to express is so rarely fully conveyed. Our immediate, colored perceptions always precede full understanding of another’s expression.

Opening up here: I want to be able to dress without limitations. I want to wear clothes that don’t fit into any kind of category and not get weird looks. I want to be able to don something ordinary and not get flack for conforming, either (this includes self-judgment!) Most importantly, I want to be able to express myself, and I want YOU to be able to express YOURSELF. Of course, we can aim for all of these things regardless of what the world thinks of us, but in order to really own the freedom inherent in our dressing, the liberation has to spread.

This means evolving our barriers. Fighting the good fight. And if you’re inclined to doff clothes altogether, you sure as hell have stereotypes to burn. Anyone who wants to start Rethinking Nudity absolutely has my blessing!

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[Though we've come a long way from this, haven't we?
Photo by Eadweard Muybridge, 1887]

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Because in the end, it’s not about the clothes or lack thereof. It’s how you choose to make your personal decisions and the contexts in which to express them. As for me, I think the subject of style is a fabulous hotbed of potential & I’m going to keep pushing this medium. If the mission statement of this blog hasn’t been blatantly obvious by this point, here it is:

Style isn’t just a physical thing. It’s a mental thing. And just like any other idea medium, it’s mutable and it’s evolving. The mind-body dichotomy is unzipping and we can wiggle like mad, as if struggling out of a pair of tight jeans and thinking they’re never going to come off, yet eventually end up lying on the dressing room floor panting in triumph.

Jumping on that nitty-gritty truth is Rethinking Style, baby!

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Let’s hear your thoughts! Have you ever considered why we even wear clothes?

And if you keep missing out on these posts, consider subscribing to the blog and making my day besides. I’m incredibly grateful for all your support and for spreading the word. 30-for-30 is going strong btw, stay tuned for an update on that this weekend!