Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.

While in Thailand I’ve been away from my clothes. All of my thrifted, colorful, and at times off the wall clothes are in the boxes I packed them in before I headed out on my adventure. As odd as it must sound, I miss my clothing. I miss looking each morning at my collection of pieces and deciding what I will wear to match my mood. I miss playing dress every morning. Now true, it does not make sense to have my clothing collection here in the ridiculous heat. Even if I did have all of my choice pieces at my disposal I would still probably chose what I am wearing now, a t-shirt and guy shorts. I’m not even wearing any jewelry outside my cartilage ring. It is just too hot. But I know my clothes are waiting for me back in the states.
I imagine them anticipating my arrival and getting excited for me to come home and unpack them. They are ready to be worn, if only to the library and Target. And I am excited to, I’m excited to match a floral summer dress with a pair of overly loud earrings. It’s who I am, or at least a part of who I am. It’s an expression of who I am. The clothes don’t make me, I make the clothes (sometimes literally). My sense of style does not shape who I am, or even influence who I am. Instead, who I am, what I feel, and what I believe shapes what I wear. And to be fully honest, what I wear is often times just for me. Sure other people will see what I wear and that’s a part of it sometimes, but I wear what I wear because I am expressing a part of who I am. I think self expression is more for the self than it is for anyone else. If I were to stop expressing myself altogether the world wouldn’t end, the only person it would really affect is me. I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t say how I felt in one way or another. I. Me. My. That’s what I’ve learned in my simple clothing state, what I wear is for me.
Catch you on the flip side.