Models pictured are all wearing our size S
When people talk about clothing versatility, they usually mean the ability of the clothing to be styled differently, aka, style versatility.
That's without a doubt a very important quality, because it allows us to really get the value of the piece, and be able to buy fewer pieces, which saves money and is inherently more sustainable.
But today I want to talk about a different type of versatility, one I wasn't really paying attention to until very recently.
A few months into the pandemic, I got to the heaviest I’d been.
If you are also a member of the "COVID 15" club, you know what I'm talking about (you are not alone - even Gwyneth Paltrow put on 14 lbs).
Not being one to monitor my weight closely, I only noticed this change through clothes:
I couldn’t zip up most of my pants without sucking in my belly,
I had difficulty in sitting or bending over in jeans,
and even most of my leggings are cutting into my waist.
And the first thought I had when I realized this was happening with my body?
I SHOULD'VE KNOWN BETTER TO LET MY BODY FLUCTUATE LIKE THAT!
The shameful response to not being able to fit in my clothes was quick as a reflex.
And I even started researching “what’s normal weight fluctuation”, fearing what my body was experiencing was “abnormal”.
And the google results glared at me: the weight of a healthy adult can fluctuate 5-6 lbs in a single day.
And I realized I had it backwards:
Our bodies are supposed to change, because we are ALIVE.
We change monthly, daily, hourly. Big or small, these changes are always our bodies’ conversations with our environment and life’s circumstances.
And how did this become a source of stress and shame, rather than something to be listened to and celebrated?
It’s actually no wonder, since for centuries fashion and beauty standards had been about pretty much intentionally distorting our bodies to achieve certain idealized looks.
But it was all backwards.
Rather than agonizing over how to squeeze our body into rigid clothes, we should make them fit us - beautiful, living, constantly changing beings.
I’m grateful that my body brought up this issue with me at this time. She told me, I need something different, do something different.
With this realization, I finally came to see that “fit” isn't a static thing, but something to be considered dynamically with our living and changing body.
This means clothing versatility is not just for style, but also for fit.
Because of it, the “comfort” and “versatility” in my design philosophy now have a much richer meaning.
And because of it, I was able to test our styles on varying bodies to make sure they have fit versatility.
And I invite you to also strip away these negative preconceptions, and listen to your body like a good friend, what does she tell you?
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