Is your clothing joyful? Be Joyful – Wear Upcycled!
Do you remember yourself as a child, drawing and using different colours? Playing with bright toys, not only to act as a sensorary stimulator, but also to make you feel joyful and engaged? A lot of the board played games we played with were full of these colours too.
Nowadays, do you do something every daythat sparkles joy? Do you look at things that bring you joy? Do you wear clothes that make you feel joyful?
Unfortunately, as we grow older, we collectively make our world less colourful and joyful. How can we improve this?
As far back as 1810, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, wrote this: ‘“… savage nations, uneducated people, and children have a great predilection for vivid colors… … people of refinement avoid vivid colours in their dress’ (Goethe, J. W. 1810 Theory of Colors . C. L. Eastlake (Trans.). Dover (2006)
Do we develop a fear of colours as we grow older? Isn’t the art of Wassily Kandinsky or Henry Matisse one of the most joyful things to look at?
Research has shown how colours that surround can life affect our emotions and feelings. Knowing this can help us choose appropriate colours to affect us in a positive way.
The same principle applies to our clothing. There are different colour seasons that are suitable for people with different hair color, eye color, complexion etc. There are simple tricks to learn, which can benefit you. In this article, I discuss the lack of colours in wardrobes, and how to revitilise that for the better.
Where joy hides?
I have always been attracted to bright colours and patterns; in fact I like to go through bright fabrics and think of new designs, and looking for suitable colourful buttons, beads or ribbons to match. Something in them just takes me to a different dimension, and gives me positive vibes.
There is an amazing Ted Talk, by Ingrid Fetel Lee, 2018, called Where Joy Hides and How to Find it. She perfectly demonstrates how colours and shapes that we see in our environment are interpreted by our brain, and create positive reactions in the short and long term. It is amazing to watch, and I would love to help as many people as possible to allow their clothes to have this same impact.
How can you make a change towards a more joyful wardrobe?
If you decide to make this shift, this small change, to brighter and more joyful clothing, I am sure you will notice the difference. I would encourage you to go through this transition and feel the change. It can affect not only how you feel, but also how others see you.
Step 1
Go through all your clothes. See what colours or patterns are the most common. What is the most common colour of clothes in your wardrobe? Do you have any bright and bold colours? How do they make you feel when you wear them or look at them? Add bright accessories, experiment!
Step 2
Do you know what your colour season is? Maybe it is time to get to know it? Did you do it right all the time? What adjustments can you make right now? If you have quite a few tops of solid colour, grey, brown, black colour family, and you know your colour season – please don’t forget to wear a small scarf to brighten up your outfit. Do you remember what your your favourite colour(s) were when you were a child? Or your favourite patterns?
Step 3
Make a few outfits by putting different items together. Experiment with different colours and add accessories. Just go with a flow and have some fun. I love blue together with yellow, blue with orange!
Step 4
If you are willing to use a needle and thread and make some of your garments more joyful, this is great! Well done! And the results will make you proud that’s for sure.
I have something for you: A Beginner’s Guide to Upcycling Clothes. I included 4 quick 30-minutes projects to make your clothes more joyful and unique. They are very easy to work on, versatile, which means you can apply the same technique to different garments. Also don’t forget to join my Facebook group: Slow Fashion Bus – Upcycle and Mend, for more ideas, support, and inspiration!
