Sweatpants Culture
When I left the mold I basically got rid of all of my clothes. There was a lot wrapped up in that decision. Fear of cross contamination, overwhelm of where to put my stuff while sleeping on a futon at my parents, and just wanting to rid myself of every single aspect of that chapter of my life.
The day was hot and sunny when I entered the mold home to tackle this task. My ex wasn’t there so it was just me, all masked up and ready to cleanse via sweat of the hot space and the purge of my closet.
I looked over everything and just started separating into piles. The yes, no, and maybe piles.
The decisions were quick. Yes. No. No. No. Maybe. Yes. And so on.
Before I knew it I had three piles, and then shortly after that I had two piles because most of the maybe pile went into the no pile.
For the past two years I’ve basically lived in flannels, black shirts, one pair of jeans, two pairs of shorts, and activewear.
There is nothing wrong with any of that, but if you knew me pre 2020-2021 trauma then you knew someone who prided herself on her closet. I let my outfits make statements and I loved fashion. Once I went into survival mode I let that fall by the wayside and then after I went through the mold experience I couldn’t hang on to that aspect of what was my past self at that point in time.
Last year was a year of processing and this year is a year of building.
As spring has truly sprung I have been craving a new wardrobe. Which ultimately means that I have been craving embodying my true self again.
In a time where athleisure is trendy and everyone heads out in sweatpants or doesn’t care what they look like, I feel a deep calling to do the opposite. It is so much more than what you’re wearing. It is the time and effort that you put into yourself. It is the beauty that you choose to cultivate. It is the respect that exudes from your space. In ancient cultures they were adorning themselves with jewelry and were intentional about beauty.
Look good, feel good.
Beauty is a direct connection and expression of God.
With sweatpants culture and the lack of effort that we put into ourselves, I see it this way. The opposite of expression is a depression. If you don’t express then you’ll get depressed. I don’t see a lot of healthy expression happening. Lots of consuming and unconscious expression, yes. But true aligned expression through creativity and divine connection, no. Give me more of that.
In today’s society it happens to be that it’s trendy to not care what you look like. And sure, sometimes stopping by the grocery store after the gym happens. I do it. It’s not about not being able to leave the house without being dressed to the nine’s. It’s more so about the general consensus of where I’ve found myself and where I see that others are at, too.
We’re also on the tail end of post COVID culture where the anxiety of existing in the world is that much higher due to the isolation and fuckery of what was the plandemic.
A lot of us struggle to go out and see people, to live in a way that used to be normal. Isolation is comfort and comfort keep us stagnant. I think it connects so well to sweatpants culture because it’s such a good way to hide who you truly are from the world.
When you put effort into your looks people will look at you. When people look at you that can be very confronting. When we’re Seen it removes that essence of comfort that so many of us spent the past few years living (hiding) in.
And so, this week it was a priority for me to begin to rebuild my closet. That doesn’t mean that I head down to the local mall and shop til I drop to fill it up. No. That means that I head out and begin to intentionally build my wardrobe. Looking at the fabrication of each piece, trying it on and seeing if it’s a full body yes, and doing it with intention. I want to primarily build a wardrobe of high quality and lasting pieces. It will take time. I’m particular. I don’t wear regular bras ever so if the shirt is one where I need to wear a regular bra for it to look good, it’s not for me. I don’t like pieces that have flared legs and so even if it’s trendy, flared legs are not for me. I’m not totally removed from fast fashion but I’d say 90% removed. And I love thrift stores. I enjoy the hunt and I love the uniqueness of the pieces. I know what I want and I’ll let it be a process over a period of time. Not something that I have to do out of desperation.
I thrifted two different days and found a handful of styles that I’m so excited about. Pieces that make me feel good… and look good. Pieces that I will put on and immediately have an elevated energy because of that. Which means that I am more magnetic, focused, and abundant in other areas of my life too.
It’s all connected. It all matters. We often hear about the mindset aspect of how we’re showing up. Clothing is an energetic aspect of showing up, which is equally important.
You are responsible for creating your life. You are the one who gets to live with yourself every day. Make each day special. Start getting dressed. Save the sweatpants for a rainy day or a Friday night in. They will feel much more luxurious and the rest of the time you will feel much more beautiful. Beauty is a superpower. Spend some time on it. It’s an essence of manifestation that can provide clarity, confidence, and magnetism from deep within your Self.
Life is short. Each moment is precious. It all matters. And it’s all up to you.
Let it be beautiful.
