Fashion Semiotics
Have you ever heard of semiotics? It’s the study of signs and symbols as elements of language or forms of communication. Think red, yellow, green on traffic lights, “H” and “C” for hot and cold on water faucets, and emojis. Some symbols have universal meanings and some have cultural nuances. Eye rolls, corporate logos, and even memes can be considered symbols, given all the undertones and subtext in meaning.
I think a lot about the semiotics of fashion and what certain pieces say about you. Like I love looking at all the “starter pack” memes on Instagram. The tech bro and finance bro starter packs are overlapping a bit at this point, especially when it comes to patagonia vests, but the tech bro is probably in some Allbirds and the finance bro loves a designer loafer. Men in zip off hiking pants? He’s either a middle aged New Englander headed to the co-op or a German tourist. I’m not sure why I’m so focused on the semiotics of male fashion here, but you get the point.
Anna, a friend of mine and career coach, recently pointed out that I always wear sunglasses in my Instagram posts. She assumed it was part of my branding and felt like it was giving major Scorpio vibes. I simply hate getting my picture taken and always feel awkward in front of the camera. I told her sunglasses offer me a layer of protection from other people’s energy. You don’t have to look someone directly in the eyes when you’re wearing sunglasses. She said, “Totally. Our eyes are the windows to our soul.” There isn’t any Scorpio in my chart, but I wonder if it could be like my Sasha Fierce persona, a way to attract more people like me: photosensitive night owls who have a never ending dialogue going on in their heads and can only make room for conversations about the latest runways shows and where to get gluten free pastries.
Everything we wear tells a story about us, whether we realize it or not. The body will naturally gravitate towards things that make you stand out vs. disappear, depending on how confident or wounded you feel. This is the theory behind intuitive eating as well. The first step is to binge on anything and everything your body wants to the point of gaining weight and feeling sick. It’s at this point you can actually hear it crave fruits and vegetables because it’s screaming so loudly for nourishing food. To me this is what fast fashion and TikTok style trends are keeping you from hearing. Brands are fighting even harder for your attention to distract you from building a wardrobe you’re happy with because that doesn’t keep you buying clothes regularly enough.
My clients will tell you how important I believe getting in touch with your intuition is to the personal styling process. I want to know who you are at your core- your hobbies, childhood dreams, career goals -so we can let that woman tell us what she wants to wear. Color analysis, proportions, fabric…all these things are important, yes, but what’s most important is that you can look in the mirror and feel like yourself. I’ve seen it happen. One moment we’re shooting the shit, looking at a rack of clothes and the next: you’re glowing in front of the mirror, smiling from ear to ear, and twirling around like a little girl playing dress up.
So much of what makes the luxury fashion industry so profitable is selling you on a dream life. A fantasy. A life you desperately want to be a part of because it looks so glamorous or sexy or carefree. But those campaigns don’t represent YOUR dream life. We buy clothes because we’re searching for meaning, trying desperately to figure out who we are and what makes us special. But you don’t need brands to tell you who you are- you already know. It’s my job to help bring that out.
So what do your clothes say about you? Lately mine says I’m caught somewhere in between an organic farmer Upstate and a creature of the night. Spot on.