I know people have a strong argument when they say clothes are just that: clothes. It is a garment. It is a piece of fabric. It is a bundle of thread. But I invite you to not think of clothes so literally.
Even those who claim to be the least fashionably inclined have something in their closet they know is their staple. It does not have to be a fancy suit or a flashy dress. Sometimes it is a simple hat or subtle jewelry that makes you smile when you catch a glimpse in the mirror.
If you are saying, “Nope, nada, no way. There is no convincing me,” let me ask you this:
If you are a part of IU Dance Marathon, how did it feel the first time you got to walk around in your committee shirt, blatantly promoting the cause you worked endlessly to raise money for?
If you are in a sorority, how brightly did you smile when you were finally able to pull a sweatshirt over your head with letters on it after undergoing initiation?
If you ride in the Little 500, how much pride did you take in yourself when you stepped out onto the track on race day wearing the name of your team across your chest?
Long story short, it feels good and there is no denying that. Clothes that show what you are a part of can put more pep in your step. However, you have likely felt this jolt of confidence wearing other items that less obviously lend a reason to make you feel swell.
What I love about that special something in your closet is that it does not feel like the mass-produced article of clothing. It feels like only one version of it exists and it was made specifically for you. But what is most exciting to me is that you do not know when you are buying it that it is going to be your staple.
It can be as simple as color. We all have a color that makes us look unusually fine. It could just be an old green V-neck that is just the right vibrancy for the tones in your skin, the color of your eyes or the shade of your hair. There does not need to be a reason why it feels so complimentary when you put it on, it just does.
Sometimes it is a bold piece that has necks craning. For example, all women can appreciate a good power dress. What is a power dress, you may ask? Well the definition of it cannot exactly be put into words.
It fits like a glove, its color made one-of-a-kind for you. There is an “it” factor you cannot place your finger on that just makes the garment feel like a superpower once it is zipped up. After throwing on her power dress, she is ready to take on the job fair, I-Core midterms and anything else thrown her way.
It is not the cloth that makes up the shirt or the dress, it is the feeling that comes with it. Certain pieces of clothes fall into our closets like fate and undeniably make us feel damn good oftentimes with no explanation.
You will never need to ask a person what item of clothing in their closet is their shield of confidence because when they are sporting it on the street, you will just know.
