A Fashionable Identity
by Alexandria Furlow
This season’s runway: the artistry of fashion and identity! Image courtesy of Raden Prasetya on Unsplash.
“Identity is that distinguishing characteristic or an individual’s personality, one of the many ways we hold the meaning and value of ourselves and others.”
“Identity and fashion have had a relationship with humanity since the beginning of time.”
People crowd into the dimly lit corridor, excitedly taking their seats, ready to witness a once in a lifetime show. The darkened runway stands empty. The crowd murmurs in anticipation. Lights suddenly burst forth. The disembodied announcer's voice echoes:
"Hitting the runway this coming season is the artistry of fashion and identity! Look how the two weave together perfectly as if they were always meant to be! By adorning this never-ending glamor, you are the Belle of the Ball. Stepping out into the world is the luckiest person, but who wears this identity? Is she what she's wearing? Is her worth woven into the label?"
Take off your Dolce and Gabbana shades, and let's take a look behind the fabric at the relationship between fashion and identity.
Identity is that distinguishing characteristic or an individual's personality, one of the many ways we hold the meaning and value of ourselves and others. Identity can consist of the different roles that we hold in life- everything from our job titles to our home life play into the equation of how we identify ourselves. Our family history, our culture, and even the people we associate with add to this algorithm.
Why do we cling to the simplicity of a definition when we are far more complex than that? Often, it is due to our hunger for understanding. It is in human nature to find comfort in places, people, things, and situations when we can identify them. The same goes for ourselves; we feel more secure when we know who we are. We cling to the ability to express our identity through various forms, everything from the arts to politics, we find a way to show who we are. One of the most common methods of representing identity is through fashion. Fashion and identity go hand in hand and have done so throughout history.
A History Lesson in Fashion
Historical fashion and the meaning that garments hold are just as relevant today. In Ancient Egypt, the common class wore a loincloth called a schenti. While those of a higher class wore a longer version of the schenti with a cape or a tunic. The fabric of the schenti told the story of the class and the individual wearing it. The drape of the schenti or it's decoration played into identity just as the wigs made of human hair, woven with gold and adorned with beads, were a fashion statement commonly worn by the wealthy.
During the biblical era in Ancient Israel, wealthy individuals wore garments made of fine linen, wool, and silk while the common class wore a rough weave of wool fiber. The color of clothing during the biblical era also held meaning and importance.
Israelites wore a blue thread just above the fringe of their garments as a symbol of their relationship and commitment to God. During this era, other fashionable items were the tzitzit, which consisted of intricately woven threads knotted into tassels at the corners of the shawl. Those who wore the tzitzit utilized it as a reminder to live for God and not the world.
In more modern times, during the Victorian era, women of higher classes wore corsets under their dresses and a crinoline underskirt or a bustle, which required maids' help to get dressed and undressed. They often wore gowns of delicate, colorful silks or satins for dinner and special occasions. Men of the higher class wore suits, top hats, and waistcoats that would have colorful patterns for events such as hunting and going out.
Women and men of the lower class wore more practical clothing with garments made of wool and cotton in dark colors because it was cheaper, and dirt wasn't as visible. A lot of their clothing was second hand and mended continuously for a longer-lasting garment.
One of the most defining garments of this era was the corset, worn by women, young girls, and children of all social classes. There were even corsets explicitly made for pregnant women. The corset was considered a necessary undergarment for females during this time is now seen as a symbol of the oppression women faced during the era. Victorian women were to marry, birth children, and care for their husbands and home with little to no freedom. The corset represented exactly that- restricted, reduced, with no room to breathe.
How does fashion of the past play into our modern-day world? Identity is still the same. Just as in the past, those who wear designer brand names such as Dior, Versace, and Prada are seen as wealthy as someone of high social standing. They are regarded as someone worthy of being known. In today's world of fashion, we seem to find our identity in the way that clothes fit us.
When working in retail, I witnessed many occasions where a woman tried on clothing and saw in the mirror the way the item fit her. Many would emotionally unravel, losing themselves when the shirt, pants, or dress did not drape her body the way it did the model or mannequin. It was heartbreaking to see someone once so sure of herself instantly shrunk into a smaller version of herself, one she was never meant to be. Identity and fashion have had a relationship with humanity since the beginning of time.
Fashion in the Bible
Identity intertwines with style throughout the Bible, just as it has throughout history. Fashion plays into identity as we view clothing as symbolism for a character and their story. This symbolism lessens as we gain wisdom by studying.
In the book of Genesis, there is Joseph and his coat of many colors. The coat, a gift from his father, Jacob, was a symbol of favoritism. Joseph's identity became wrapped up into the coat until his jealous brothers destroyed it after they sold him into slavery. Later this incident forced Joseph to walk into his God-given identity as a leader. No coat was necessary.
Another biblical figure that shows symbolism in fashion with identity was John the Baptist. John wore a tunic made of camel's hair and a leather girdle to tie up his long tunic. His clothing was a statement and testament to what he preached- that our treasures do not lie in this world and material things. Instead, it lies with God in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Lydia’s purple dye to Jesus’s royal robe, it all means something. Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash.
“Fashion is a wonderful, fun, and creative way to express our identity. However, remember the necessary accessories that cannot be bought in stores.”
In Acts, we learn of a woman named Lydia of Thyatira, a successful businesswoman who made and sold purple fabric. Purple cloth was a luxurious product symbolic of wealth, royalty, and authority. Lydia became a devout believer in God after hearing the word being preached by Paul at Philippi. Afterward, she used her fashion business to teach the word of God to her clientele with the truth of where our identity lies.
Before the crucifixion of Jesus, Roman soldiers twisted thorns into a crown and cloaked Jesus in a purple robe. Purple cloth symbolizes royalty, wealth, and authority. The soldiers used this symbology to mock Jesus, mocking his identity and the authority he spoke as the Son of God, a savior of the people sent by God to save humanity from themselves. His identity did not rely on the garments nor of those worn as someone of worth.
1 Peter 3:3-4 notes,
Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.
This is the very gospel that Jesus expresses through his fashion choices. He did not wear gold jewelry or designer clothes- He wore the garments of his fellow man: a knee-length tunic and a chiton. Jesus looked like your average Joe, though he was far from ordinary.
Identity and Fashion
We are more than the garments we wear and the names woven on the tag. Isaiah 49:16 tells us,
Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.
Our names are engraved for eternity in the very palms of the one who created us.
Therefore, our worth and identity do not lie in their name, but in God's, our creator. Fashion is a wonderful, fun, and creative way to express our identity. However, remember the necessary accessories that cannot be bought in stores. Colossians 3:12 notes,
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.
Our looks will not compete without these beautiful things. Whatever clothes we wear, whether they are designer or not, are not what makes us who we are. Genesis 2:7 says,
Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
God created us and our purpose. He is the one who holds our identity. Find comfort in this truth when you are looking super cute in that little red dress or when feeling down in sweatpants. You are magnificent. Identity and fashion are not consistent but are a continually evolving concept. You are a continuously evolving soul. Isaiah 64:8 show us,
But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.
We grow and learn, earning wisdom, and finding more of ourselves every single day. We outgrow our fashion choices and fall into new ones. The one constant that will always be is our Heavenly Father. He sees us as a masterpiece no matter what fashion phase we are in. No matter what you wear, you are always beautiful. Song of Solomon 4:7 says,
You are altogether beautiful, my love, and there is no blemish in you.
The history of fabric and fashion. Image courtesy of Oladimeji Odunsi on Unsplash.
No matter what size, color, shape, and height you are, you are beautiful. Why? Because God says so. You are created in his image. Remember this the next time you go shopping and something doesn't fit you the way it fits the model; you are altogether beautiful. God says you are beautiful, so believe it.
So we must decide, will we wear the identity of fast fashion and society or will we adorn ourselves in the truth? Will we bravely own everything that we are and are not, rather than shrinking into a mold that God did not make us fill? Wear your God-given identity the way you wear fashion: with style honey, with style.
Resources
We’ve created a free downloadable PDF to explore the article deeper. It contains discussion questions about the topic in general terms that will give you a jumping-off point for beginning a conversation.
The second page contains a way to see the topic from a biblical perspective.
And finally, to go deeper into the subject, we have chosen a few curated resources to explore from other authors’ and thinkers’ research or perspectives.
Read. Engage. Enjoy!
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