According to the Global Wellness Institute, wellness is the active pursuit of choices, activities and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health. As per most models, there are at least six pillars of wellness: Physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual and environmental. Some models include financial wellness, too. But, you ask, what does this have to do with fashion and clothes? Well, everything, really. As a sustainability writer and a student and teacher of yoga, I’m here to tell you that every single thing you choose to wear and keep—or not wear and not keep—has an impact on your health and wellbeing. For, wellness is about intention and active choices. Here are some ways conscious closet choices can promote wellness.
1. Better materials mean your body is exposed to lesser toxicity. Microplastics have been found everywhere, even in human placenta and breast milk. These have been known to enter our bodies not just through the plastic containers we eat out of and the 200ml plastic bottles we drink from, but also through our skin when we wear polyester. And as if that weren’t all, many of the chemicals used to dye and treat fabrics have been found to be carcinogenic or cancer-causing. They have also been linked to a host of hormonal, skin and auto-immune diseases. Why do we keep buying them? Because they are everywhere. And why are they everywhere? Because they’re cheaper to produce. When we buy more consciously, checking the labels to see what’s in our clothes, we are able to stave off all of this. In short, we’re able to avoid materials that could make us unwell. When you choose better materials, you’re also helping the environment.
2. Quality garments afford you more freedom. We’re talking fabrics that allow your skin to breath and fittings that allow your body to move better. When you’re comfortable in what you’re wearing, you have one thing less to worry about. When what you’re wearing feels luxurious—rather than clingy, itchy or even static-y—you feel more empowered. Isn’t that what true fashion as well as true wellness are all about… To help you become the best version of yourself!
3. You’re no longer under pressure to keep up with trends. Peer pressure. Keeping up with the Joneses—or the Kardashians. Call it what you may. Fact remains, keeping up with trends is stressful. Especially when fast fashion is pushing out about a dozen new trends every week. And ultra fast fashion, even more. When you choose to turn away from trends, you’re no longer consumed by FOMO. When you stop tracking trends, you’ll also discover you have more time on hand, to do the things you truly enjoy. And, you’ll have more money!
4. Rewearing is a confidence-booster. The idea of OOTDs may have made repeating a rewearing seem like a cardinal sin. But let’s be honest, isn’t that how most of us grew up? There’s good reason the clothes you reach out for, often, are called comfort clothes. They are both, comfortable and comforting. And when it comes to occasions, repeating takes the guesswork out of the equation. You no longer need to look for validation and double-check your fit in the mirror. You already know the look works. And should there be something that didn’t work the last time you wore the outfit, you know what the fix is. Congratulations! You just saved yourself a bunch of time, effort, money and stress, while turning up looking like a million bucks.
5. You’re cutting out the clutter. Whether it’s practices like Feng Shui or Vastu, or the yogic concepts of Aparigraha (detachment) and Brahmacharya (avoidance of excess), any spiritual pursuit you delve into, will tell you that you need less. That calling yourself a shopaholic isn’t just passe, it’s downright uncool and unhealthy. That you need to buy less as well as hoard less. Just what your favourite sustainability magazine prescribed!
6. It makes you more creative. Restyling a garment, upcycling and mending, all get your creative juices flowing. You don’t have to upcycle and mend yourself—though they’re both great skills to learn. You just need to think of ways you can make something work. And trust me, it’s not all that difficult. For someone who was once graded a 2/5 for creativity, I’ve had some pretty rad ideas!
7. It helps you build more value. When you stop treating your clothes as disposable, you see more value in them. The same also happens when you start buying more consciously. When you start asking questions like ‘who made my clothes?’ The garment workers and artisans are no longer distant and faceless. They become real people. Their skill becomes more real to you, and therefore, more valuable. And that’s just a starting point. When you add secondhand fashion to the mix, by extending the lifecycle of a garment, you are actively building more value. This contributes to a more wholesome relationship that you develop with fashion, and is also better for the planet.
8. It helps release endorphins. Whether you’re buying an artisanal garment, for which you’ve paid a fair price, or donated clothes you no longer wear, or are simply being more conscious of the impact of your choices on the environment… you are doing good. And study after study has shown that every time we do good, our body releases endorphins, the feel-good hormones, which, in turn, makes us feel good
What are your thoughts on building a conscious closet and how it can promote wellness? Tell us in the comments.
