How clothes can affect the way we interact with others.

More connections need to be made between us.

In a society where we close ourselves off because of fear, we start to lose the very essence of what makes us human, the ability to connect and communicate with each other. I have lived in a total of four cities, each with its own varying character and mentality, but they all share one thing in common: the lack of human connection. Due to recent events in society, it is almost justifiable that we remain closed books for fear that opening up to people can leave us disappointed, rejected and hurt.

So where do clothes come into the picture? We cannot deny that humans are very visual species. Appearance affects the way we interact with one another. We respond to visual stimulus to illicit our next course of action. Each of us have a story to tell and clothes serve as our book cover. The way I choose my outfits has a strong correlation to my personality. With every detail: to the color, texture, pattern and accessory, I paint a picture to who I am.

Clothes, so versatile, that one can manipulate them to represent the various facets of their identity. Admit it, we all have different aspects of our personality. One day I can be a serious neuroscientist adamant to make breakthroughs in science, tomorrow I am a fashion blogger hoping to inspire others, and the day after I am a student learning French the beautiful language of love. It gives me so much excitement to be able to incorporate clothing and give the world a peak into these different portions that make up me.

Most would argue that this is a superficial way to approach something as deep as human connection. But to those people: when was the last time you approached a stranger to get to know them? And to those who have an answer to that: what made you comfortable enough to go and talk to them?

In a world of closed and often sealed books, I use clothes as my eccentric title cover. How does one even choose which book to read if the books themselves cannot be opened? We start by the first thing we see, the cover. Enticing and welcoming enough that it makes the reader tear open the seal. So ravished to know the story they risk being caught. Why? Because I ignited an entity within them to want to get to know me.

Look around. Pay attention. Little do you know that people are showing you a glimpse into their lives.

When I stare at my closet in the morning I don’t ask what goes well with what? But rather what part of me do I want to share with the world today?

Kent M.