One of my most favourite films is Practical Magic.
Generally, because it has Sandra Bullock, beautiful Victorian house, a “Bulgarian” bad boy spirit and 90s fashion, but also because there is magic and I’m a sucker for magical stuff.
There is a scene where Nicole Kidman is escaping some real bad situation, looks up, sees “blood moon” and frantically starts looking for her tiger’s eye necklace.
Fast forward to 2018 and I’m working for Victoria Beckham, as we have a collection, where clothes had special secret pockets for customers to store their crystals.
I mean, if only Nicole had those hidden pockets, she would not lose her tiger’s eye.
We talk about clothes not having a positive impact on our health. Avoid polyester because it makes you sweaty, toxic dyes can cause cancer, un-tested fibres can be dangerous, but we rarely talk about clothes actually having the ability to heal us and to improve our well-being.
We might mention something like clothes having positive impact on our mental state, because we get dopamine when we buy something new and we look great in it. Or the fact that we can express individuality through our style. But we do not talk enough about clothes being able to calm us down, hype us up, heal us.
In order for the tiger’s eye to work, it needs to be close to your skin and when you come to think of it, what’s closer to your skin than your clothes? You can absorb everything through your pores, so if your clothes are infused with antibacterial substances, vitamins, and nourishment, then they can easily make you feel great, heal you, sustain you and support you.
The term therapeutic fashion is still new and not overly explored, but it connects clothes directly to the invention of smart materials, that can contribute to the wearer’s general well-being, or to traditional coloring techniques where natural dyes full of vitamins and useful bacteria are used to enhance the clothes’ properties.
Imagine adding turmeric to your dye, infusing your garment with anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits. Or passing each product through a crystal filtration process, boosting its specific spiritual qualities. Or maybe using flower oils in the production process to enhance the aroma of the final garment and help people with respiratory problems.
Another popular term is “smart clothes”, where technology and science join forces with garments to provide us with next gen garments, almost as if we are living in a fantasy series. At times this can feel a bit too futuristic – like the Fremen costume in the fantasy DUNE. The sophisticated system of the suit is able to purify the bodily fluids so the wearer can survive the harsh desert and still have water to drink.
But examples of UV clothes infused with laser dyes do exist on the market, so maybe we are slowly stepping into the future?
Couple of weeks ago, National Geographic published a photo by Dina Litovsky. Taken backstage at a fashion show, during fashion week, it shows a model’s scarred feet, as she is patiently waiting in line, perched on high heels. The contrast between the glamorous satin shoes and the painful scars on her heels is dramatic and has sparked online discussion about the sacrifices we all make, especially women, in the name of fashion. Let’s be honest, I too have had shoes that have ruined my feet, but I kept them on simply because they looked good. I have had clothes that are too tight, too big, too short, but I bought them, wore them and maybe unless there was a cleaning frenzy, I still own.
Thus, the possibility to look at our clothes from a different angle can be exciting, refreshing and quite frankly long awaited. Rather than pain, we can get health benefits!
Since ancient times, clothes have been here to protect us from cold, rain, extreme heat. Their main purpose is to be there for us, to shield us from weather and from the elements. They then became something more: offering us social stance, reinforcing our sense of individuality and self-worth. From power dressing to sub-culture dressing, they offered us a chance to express who we are.
Perhaps it is time for a new chapter – clothes that are taking the more serious role of health companions. Garments that can help us when we are having an asthma attack, clothes that speed up recovery post surgeries.
Imagine all those people (me including) who suffer from anxiety, who can slowly calm down by putting on their favourite jumper, simply because it’s infused with calming oils.
Or imagine going to a job interview - it would have been great to get extra confidence boost on that specific day, right? Hence you put on your NotAnother T-shirt featuring the Prosperity patch and feel the self-love fills you up.
Clothes can offer us more than what we are used to. We simply have to demand it.
Katya x Not Another London
Some links on smart clothes:
https://www.globalwellnesssummit.com/trendium/smart-clothes-boost-health-wellbeing/
