BREAKING THE ICE ONE GARMENT AT A TIME.
Have you ever walked up to a complete stranger with the intention
of complementing an aspect of their material appearance?
What about the opposite?
Has someone outside of your immediate circle ever approached you
just to let you know how ah-mazing your shoes are?
It's kind of odd how comfortable we are approaching complete strangers, when it comes to small physical & material things, yet how uncomfortable we get over the slightest amount of eye contact made with a stranger as we walk across the street. It's as though it's too personal to just see someone than it is to notice the jeans on their body. In a way, these material & seemingly insignificant things are what allow us to connect with people, even if only for a brief moment. These little interactions can be as simple as admiring someone's outfit, showing appreciation for their body art, or even mentioning how much you like their hair style. YES - IT'S PLAIN OL' SILLY. It's silly mainly because it involves acknowledgement that's based solely on stuff - what you own, what you wear, what you show off. The society we live in today revolves massively around consumption, so naturally we are drawn to notice more of the materialistic aspects of others & our surroundings.
SO why not use this to our advantage?
As human beings we need some form of connection to survive. Whether it be a quick call to your mom, a social outing with a friend, a cuddle with a cute cat or even a hug to a nearby tree, we are a lot better off when we connect with other living things.
It honestly wouldn't hurt us to connect with a complete stranger over something as simple as a cool T-shirt.
FASHION IS A VEHICLE FOR HUMAN CONNECTION.
Some clothing items are meant to be talked about. Some are meant to be stared at, danced in, shown off & straight up praised. The guy at the house party wearing the glow-in-the-dark tee & crazy hand painted blazer is bound to bump into some compliment-filled interactions. He's wearing a great conversation starter & giving others an easy visual target for a mindless connection.
Clothing with that kind of power are what I like to call ICE BREAKER PIECES.
To most people, the word "icebreaker" brings memories of an exceptionally awkward & unenjoyable time spent playing childish games among unfamiliar faces. When forced, icebreakers make for a quite tense interaction. So thank god for dress up parties!
To me, fashion is the ultimate form of self expression. How we choose to present ourselves to the world each day affects the types of relationships we build, the connections we have with strangers, & the character we create for ourselves.
We wear clothes for a significant part of the day, EVERY SINGLE DAY. That's more than enough time for shit to get personal - so let it.
Getting dressed doesn't have to be such a mundane task & clothing can be a SUPER FUN way to share your personality. Honestly, individuality in style is a fucking celebration!
SO let's get to it.
- let's create some damn connections through crazy clothing -
Allow me to share some personal anecdotes of some of my favourite ice breaker moments.
+ walking through airport security in a massive shoulder padded blazer & cheetah print flares - you better believe I bonded with the security guard over this travel lewkk as I passed through the metal detector in my socks...they made me take off my blue cowboy boots -_-
+ strolling through the halls of a stunning art museum in a full cowgirl’s dream denim skirt set with bedazzled embroidered trim - I kid you not, I did a full on PHOTO OP for a lovely group of women who were swooning over this fit.
+ hopping off the metro in my cropped reflective construction jacket & finding myself in the midst of a group of ACTUAL construction workers - ...no one actually said anything to me, but it was fun to feel like part of the boys y'a know!
These small interactions are truly the real life equivalent to
a FULL CAPS comment on a fire Instagram pic.
...& as much fun as that short lived ego boost can be, those superficial interactions
tend to leave us with nothing more than a few likes & some random followers.
So how can we turn these surface level interactions
into real personal connections?
+ use the platforms that are at your disposal to search for content that inspires you & share it - wether it be on your Instagram story, as a Facebook post or even displayed on your body!
+ notice the ice breaker pieces & allow those seemingly mindless connections to take place.
+ make an effort to be genuine as you connect with others & share what makes you unique!
We're all searching for connection in some shape or form & in the world we live in today, it can be difficult to find meaningful interactions away from our screens.
It seems that now more than ever, in all of this fear & chaos, we must stand together
(but not too close...gotta practice good social distancing!) & support each other during this difficult time - it all starts with the feeling of connectivity.
BREAK THE ICE!
COMPLIMENT STRANGERS!
CONNECT WITH ONE ANOTHER!
SHARE YOUR PASSION!
SPREAD SOME JOY!
XX C
P.S. Please continue to dress up while quarantined in your home, if it makes you happy :) & take a moment to connect with others as we enter a strange & isolating time.
PHOTOGRAPHY: BOUCHRA ASSOU @feu_marcheavecmoi
OUTFIT ANTHEM: BREAK THE ICE - BRITNEY SPEARS
OUTFIT DETAILS:
CONSTRUCTION CREW
CONSTRUCTION JACKET - EVA B VINTAGE
ORANGE SILK PANTS - EVA B VINTAGE
LACE BRA - EVA B VINTAGE
ORANGE LEOPARD HEELS - TIGER ALLEY CLOTHING
JEWELRY - THRIFTED
SUEDE WINTER COAT - EVA B VINTAGE
PEARLY N PINK
PINK FAUX FUR COAT - VICTORIA'S SECRET
PINK ZEBRA PRINT SKIRT - TOPSHOP
ZEBRA PRINT TUBE TOP - EVA B VINTAGE
CLEAR VINYL HEELS - EVA B VINTAGE
SUNGLASSES - @betsymaysmith
PEARL PURSE - @feu_marcheavecmoi
Kommentarer