Life's a Show
May 12th 2006 04:41
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts.. (Shakespeare)
One line, with no particularly deep or startling metaphysical resonance and yet I’ve never been able to get it out of my head. To me, identity is a fluid thing. We take on different characters with different moods, different places, different people. And sometimes, with the different clothes we wear.
There’s colour. Some colours brighten your day or make you feel sleek, smart and sophisticated. There’s style and cut, daring or winsome. And there’s appropriateness to the situation- your level of comfort with what you wear affects your posture, your attitude and your confidence.
One of the things I love about Taffy is how well she understands this. I’m not sure what motivates her, but she strives for the perfect tone and ensemble every single day. And I’ve never seen her walk down the street without getting at least one compliment. So maybe that’s motivation enough.
My background is in the theatre, and I’ve never been able to shake the feeling that clothing is a costume. There’s what I wear every day, to Uni and around the house, and then there’s something that changes when we go out at night.
Dressing up is a careful ritual. It can impart a sense of occasion to the most commonplace outing. But more than that, choosing an outfit means choosing my identity for the night. A different look means I’ll make different choices, talk to different people, change the course of my evening.
It’s common sense that choosing a certain pair of shoes will decide things like how long I can walk and dance for. But choosing a costume also means choosing a character. I’ll take more risks in a short skirt than a long one. I’ll flirt, and laugh, and dance more seductively because I’ll feel more seductive. It’s a powerful weapon and a heady drug.
Dressing up is a licence to be someone else for a few hours. To try on a new identity and experience the thrill of becoming a different person. Like live theatre only a thousand times more unpredictable.
And dangerous. Sometimes it leads you to do things you’ll always regret.
There’s colour. Some colours brighten your day or make you feel sleek, smart and sophisticated. There’s style and cut, daring or winsome. And there’s appropriateness to the situation- your level of comfort with what you wear affects your posture, your attitude and your confidence.
My background is in the theatre, and I’ve never been able to shake the feeling that clothing is a costume. There’s what I wear every day, to Uni and around the house, and then there’s something that changes when we go out at night.
Dressing up is a careful ritual. It can impart a sense of occasion to the most commonplace outing. But more than that, choosing an outfit means choosing my identity for the night. A different look means I’ll make different choices, talk to different people, change the course of my evening.
Dressing up is a licence to be someone else for a few hours. To try on a new identity and experience the thrill of becoming a different person. Like live theatre only a thousand times more unpredictable.
And dangerous. Sometimes it leads you to do things you’ll always regret.
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Comment by Trina
Hiphop
Confessions of a Serial Dancer
Competitions
Clubbing
I've tested this out and worn different types of stuff outside from my bumming-at-home-clothes to hiphop to street to funky to punk to rock chick to 9-5 office slave to Uni student to sophisticated mama to miss Diva - it also affects how I act, walk and talk.
After all this searching for one's personal identity they finally find what suits them and they feel most comfortable in, (or maybe the one from which they get the best reactions). C'mon people, step out of your comfort zone once in a while.
Comment by stephen
"...I'm a million different people from one day to the next..."
Do you like semiotics and linguistic studies? There's an interesting
book out at the moment by Roland Barthes called "The language of fashion".
And if you want to massage your brain, check out my blog:
Brain Marinade.
Comment by amy
There's a difference for me, though, between the everyday outfits (different though they may be) and what I might wear out that really changes my identity - like your boots, things that make you feel a bit unlike your everyday self. Wigs and bunny ears =P
Secret Sydney
Comment by Cibbuano
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
As for me, however, I'm slumming it. These pants are torn both at my feet and at my crotch. It's a hard life...
Comment by Matt
I'm a uni student that only has time to work 12-15 hours a week so i basically havn't bought clothes for ever, the only time i get new stuff is chistmas/birthdays etc. So i have basically the same mood all the time... except when i wear my cool shirt... then I'm cool
SydneyDiary!!
Comment by Lia
Comment by Trina
Hiphop
Confessions of a Serial Dancer
Competitions
Clubbing
I love dressing like a bum at home, it's so warm and comfy; Cibby is not as badly dressed as he makes it to be - I just saw him today.
Woo I'd love to dress in a Panda suit and dance, actually my friends and I do that kinda thing once in a while. It's fun.