This was a thoughtful essay amid so much commentary in this season about the woes of consumerism. While those concerns are not without merit, so many of us have been trained into the embrace of utilitarianism in everything, such that we neglect what it is to be human. For some time, I have been trying to train myself to not merely look at things within the mindset of whether they "do the job" and instead question what they do for the soul. Clothing is certainly a piece of that puzzle of culture.
Thanks for the comment Sarah. It's a delicate balance to weigh the utility of a garment versus its aesthetic or spiritual value.
Perhaps the most important thing is to be intentional in your choices. If you can pick something that's good for the soul, you make that choice willingly, but don't regret choosing the functional if you know the alternatives are unrealistic for you needs in that moment.
Makes me think of how aesthetic beauty and taste seem to have been lost in today’s world… Gen Z don’t wear beautiful dresses and suits, but exercise tracksuits. It’s like luxury as a concept is being redefined.
That's an interesting thought. For the younger generations, I suspect part of the difficulty is they don't have role models or elders who can help teach them.
This was a thoughtful essay amid so much commentary in this season about the woes of consumerism. While those concerns are not without merit, so many of us have been trained into the embrace of utilitarianism in everything, such that we neglect what it is to be human. For some time, I have been trying to train myself to not merely look at things within the mindset of whether they "do the job" and instead question what they do for the soul. Clothing is certainly a piece of that puzzle of culture.
Thanks for the comment Sarah. It's a delicate balance to weigh the utility of a garment versus its aesthetic or spiritual value.
Perhaps the most important thing is to be intentional in your choices. If you can pick something that's good for the soul, you make that choice willingly, but don't regret choosing the functional if you know the alternatives are unrealistic for you needs in that moment.
Makes me think of how aesthetic beauty and taste seem to have been lost in today’s world… Gen Z don’t wear beautiful dresses and suits, but exercise tracksuits. It’s like luxury as a concept is being redefined.
That's an interesting thought. For the younger generations, I suspect part of the difficulty is they don't have role models or elders who can help teach them.
100%! Its a dying art unfortunately.
Syphilis changed a lot of lives in the old, monied classes.