Fashion Dossier for Psychologies - student project by Cerstin Henning

PSYCHOLOGIES KNOW MORE, GROW MORE

FEBRUARY 2011

PSYCHOLOGIES.CO.UK

LCF EDITION

MAGAZINE

DOSSIER: 30-PAGE SECTION

YOUR CLOTHES

MAKE THEM WORK FOR YOU

● How they reflect changes in our lives ● How they are linked to our emotions PLUS: Wardrobe check-up Psychologies Magazine February 2011

This February, join in the fun of National Heart Month 2011 is our 50th birthday, so join the party! Bake a red cake, cycle in a red nightie or simply wear some red socks for National Wear Red Day on 25 February. Whatever you do, it’s a great excuse to have some fun – plus raise funds for our vital work.

Order your free fundraising kit today at bhf.org.uk/red or call 0845 241 0976 or text RED, followed by your name, house/flat number and postcode to 88600* eg RED John Smith 45 AB12 3XY. You’ll then receive a confirmation text, which is free. The text you send is charged at your standard rate.

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

2 © British Heart Foundation 2010, a registered charity in England and Wales (225971) and in Scotland (SC039426)

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February 25, 2011 February is National Heart Month.

2011 is the BHF’s 50th birthday. To find out how you can join in the celebrations and be part of Red for Heart, visit bhf.org.uk/red Psychologies Magazine February 2011 © British Heart Foundation 2010. Registered charity in England and Wales (225971) and in Scotland (SC039426)

PSYCHOLOGIES Editor Cerstin Henning Director Cerstin Henning Deputy Editor Cerstin Henning Art Director Cerstin Henning Managing Editor Cerstin Henning FEATURES Features Editor Cerstin Henning Entertainment Editor Stephan Burghoff

Contributors February 2011

Silke Seybold˃

“Without the protection of clothes, you are the most vulnerable,” says the Detroit based photographer, which is why she chooses to be nude in most of her pictures. Her series Self- portraits in abandoned places that illustrates the Fashion Choices article shows the empty shell that was abandoned, with only traces of the presence of its past occupants remaining - in furniture and clothes left behind. Her pictures preserve these traces, giving the stories behind them a visual voice.

BEAUTY Beauty Director Cerstin Henning Beauty Assistant Maria Rivero-Bosch ART Deputy Art Director Cerstin Henning Photo Editor Cerstin Henning Assistant Photo Editor Kirsty Fong COPY Chief Sub Editor Kirsten McCaffrey Deputy Sub Editor Stephan Burghoff Assistant Sub Editor Elissa Callaghan Assistant Sub Editor Petra Backhaus PRODUCTION Production Director Cerstin Henning ADVERTISING Advertisement Director Cerstin Henning Senior Sales Executive Cerstin Henning

PSYCHOLOGIES IS PUBLISHED UNDER LICENCE FROM PSYCHOLOGIES MAGAZINE FRANCE Hachette Filipacchi UK Ltd is Britain’s newest and most exciting magazine publishing house with a portfolio of seven magazine titles including: ELLE, ELLE Decoration, Red, Sugar, Psychologies, Inside Soap and All About Soap. We also have strong websites, including www. digitalspy.com, www.elleuk.com and www. sugarscape.com. Hachette Filipacchi UK Ltd is a subsidiary of Lagardère Active, one of the world’s leading media companies. Present in 45 countries, Lagardère Active has some 220 print titles, 27 radio stations and 9 TV channels.

Kirsty Fong

When she was only four years old Kirsty put her foot down when her mother tried to force her into moon boots. This passion for clothes has been with her all her life and finally made her the amazing stylist she is today. For this fashion dossier she did the styling and creative direction for the cover picture, photo shoot of Claire for The Power of Red, and the dossier cover.

Paul Dingwall˃

When we asked the photographer how he works he told us, "I fall in love with every picture I take.“ His sensitive pictures of the extremely camera shy Elissa Callaghan show more than just the clothes she wears. Capturing the powerful emotions she felt after the make-over they are a wonderful documentation that beauty always is more than skin deep.

Florian Rathgeber˅

Florian took the picture of Ursel Braun at the Victoria & Albert museum in London. What was important to him? To capture her calm energy and the creative atmosphere of the museum. We think he really did.

Maria Rivero-Bosch

Maria loves colours and the way they can really light up someone‘s face. “Nothing beats the power of a bright red lipstick for a quick pickme-up,“ she told us during the photo shoot for The Power of Red. We agree. And that‘s more than lip service.

Celil Hacioglu˃

To Celil fashion is a passion, a journey into the past and the future. He lives in New York working for Derek Lam, Zac Posen and Walter. His fashion illustration for The dress that changed my life shows a woman in all her glory, full of grace and power, ready to take on the world.

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

editor‘s letter: cerstin henning

This dossier is not about fashion, it’s about people. I know you’re reading Psychologies because it does not “do” fashion. But as Coco Chanel once put it, “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” I can vividly remember the gorgeous dress my boyfriend at the time gave me for my 22nd birthday. It was long, bright red and came with a red and white chiffon scarf belt. The one and only time I wore it was on a bright summer’s day on my way to an algebra tutorial. I got a lot of strange looks, many students thought I was in the wrong department, and I was eventually mistaken for the secretary. That was the day when I realised that looking like a woman wouldn’t get me far as a maths student. Today I know that this had as much to do with my own confidence as with other people’s reactions. But at the time, instead of flaunting my assets, my reaction was to cover them up as best as I could. With a curvy figure like mine that meant trousers and baggy sweaters. Five years and a degree later I vowed never to disguise myself again. From then on I was on a mission to find my style. When I saw ‘my dress’ in a posh department store in Taipeh, Taiwan, it was love at first sight. It has a figure-hugging strappy top and a wide skirt part that looks like it has wings. It’s very Asian, very different, and very feminine, it looks both timeless and special. It’s a dress that screams, “Look at me! I’m a woman and I love it.” I take it with me where ever I go. I wore it to my 30th birthday party, my ex-boyfriend’s wedding, and my first romantic weekend with my partner in Paris. And just like the red dress I unfortunately never had the courage to wear, but which I still keep in a box labelled ‘special memories’, it is a constant reminder of the kind of woman I want to be.

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

Looking at this month dossier, I realised that many women have similar fashion stories to tell. Stories that I hope will inspire and fascinate you. Read about the various ways choosing clothes can affect our lives in Fashion Choices. Be inspired by Meike Winnemuth, who spent a whole year wearing the same dress, in The Little Blue Dress, and let women who wear red on a regular basis tell you how it makes them feel in The Power of Red. The relationships women have with clothes have many dimensions. In this dossier we talk about whether they use clothes to express a part of their identity, see fashion as an investment in the future, or keep special garments as a way of preserving precious memories. You will see, the fashion we write about is inextricably linked to the people who wear it, focusing on that life-long relationship all of us have with our clothes and how to make the most out of it. And this is what Psychologies does. 

FEBRUARY IS NATIONAL HEART MONTH 2011 is the 50th birthday of the British Heart Foundation, so what better time to celebrate? Join thousands of others on National Wear Red Day on Friday 25th or organise your own event during February. Anything goes as long as it’s red!

DOSSIER: Your Clothes

How to make your clothes work for you Imagine your clothes could talk. Which stories could they tell? What would you want them to say? This month we are having a look at the language of clothes, the messages they can send and the roles they can play in our lives. But, as you can expect from us, we focus on the person within. Use this dossier to find out more about the - sometimes easy, sometimes difficult - life-long relationship we have with our clothes and how they can help us enrich our lives. Photograph Paul Dingwall Styling Kirsty Fong

Contents

Fashion choices Find out more about the impact of clothes and how choosing them wisely can have an effect on your life

The dress that changed my life Three women talk about an item of clothing that is linked to a life-changing experience

Experiment: Can a stylist make a difference? Find out what style counselling could do for Elissa Callaghan

Fashion consciousness Dr Kirsten Diekamp explains ecological fashion and what it can do for you and the world

The power of red How wearing red affects our life and portraits of women who wear it for the way it makes them feel

Retail therapy Ursel Braunâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s battle with breast cancer and the clothes that helped her get through

The little blue dress We talked to fashion journalist Meike Winnemuth about what she learned from wearing the same dress for a year

Your wardrobe check-up Discover the potential of your wardrobe and find out how to streamline it to uncover your style

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

DOSSIER: Your Clothes

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

Essay

Fashion Choices Love it or hate it we have to make fashion choices every day. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more, these choices can have an impact on how we feel. Cerstin Henning finds out how to make them wisely. Photographs Silke Seybold

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

DOSSIER: Your Clothes

lothes have many functions — they keep us warm in cold weather, shield us from the sun and protect us from preying eyes. But they are also a powerful tool for sending messages — intentionally or not — about who we are. In that way they can help us establish our identity. We can use our clothes and the way we wear and style them to signal which group we want to belong to or not belong to and what we have achieved in life so far. “The messages clothes give off always have a social and a psychological dimension,” says Dr Nick Baylis, founder of the Cambridge institute of Well-being and author of The Rough Guide to Happiness (Penguin 2009). He emphazises that they are always about both — fitting in and standing out. So we dress for others just as much as we dress for ourselves. “Even the most seemingly functional clothes are making a statement,” the psychologist indicates. Clothes are a means of adding something to our personality. A sharp suit or a well-fitting dress can make us stand and walk taller; they can even change the way we perceive ourselves. At a graduation ball we want to show that we know about the festivity of the occasion. For a job interview we need our clothes to say that we are professional and know what is expected from us, we need them to signal that we fit in. They are the door opener. For some people, such a door would remain forever closed if it wasn't for the California based charity organisation Working Wardrobes. Working Wardrobes helps men, women, and young adults in life crises to get back on track and into the working world by supporting them with career development and wardrobe services. This charity's volunteers are personal shoppers and stylists who provide and assist in choosing work appropriate clothes and give tips on how to enhance personal and professional images. Founder and CEO Jerri Rosen believes there is a strong link between clothes and self-confidence, “We have so many anecdotal examples of the change – heads held high, great eye contact, the walk of confidence, the feeling of being successful

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

The messages clothes give off always have a social and a psychological dimension. and willing to get out for interviews.” One of the doors they opened was for Phillip, a former veteran who five years ago was living in a park, sleeping on a bench, eating out of garbage bins, and now serves on their Board of Directors. “He has managed to get his daughter back in his life, has his own apartment and holds a job making six figures,” Rosen proudly relates. When Rowena left a domestic violence situation with her three children and their belongings in a plastic clothes basket, Working Wardrobes helped her fit in the working world again. “Today she has a wonderful job, returned to college, has a place of her own, her children are doing well in school and she speaks for Working Wardrobes at special events,” Rosen adds. More often than not the changes that started with a trouser suit are for good. “We want our clients to be as confident inside as they look on the outside. No empty suits!” This is why they provide more than just the outfit. “We offer a very powerful series of Career Success workshops that change our clients' perceptions of who they are, enable them to articulate transferable skills, gather their work history, prepare a resume, and handle answering difficult questions with grace,” Rosen elaborates. “We believe success comes from the inside out.“ Dr Baylis confirms this. “If you want to be more confident, go out and join a drama class or volunteer at a shelter for stray dogs. Make friends. If it’s a severe problem, have therapy. Clothes will not take you there.” he says, “An inch, yes, a mile, no.” But for most of us, who can afford and have more clothes than we actually need, an inch might make a big difference. So how do we get there? Choosing clothes that make us feel good is a skill not easily mastered. It needs playful experimentation as much as it needs knowledge. There is nothing wrong with getting help. “If you want to find out which kind of clothes will work for you in any given situation, by all means, ask a friend to go through your wardrobe with you or hire a stylist or a personal

DOSSIER: Your Clothes

Fashion is always about both, fitting in and standing out. shopper,” Baylis suggests. Clothes are important elements in our day to day interactions with ourselves and others. “It‘s nice to imagine that appearance doesn’t matter,” says Dr Linda Sapadin, a psychologist and success coach, “but the fact is that for most people, and especially for women, how they look - or think they look - adds or detracts from their confidence level.“ But this is not about buying more and more clothes. It‘s about choosing carefully for our body shape and skin colour while keeping the existing pieces in our wardrobe in mind. “Someone who has really thought about their clothes will always look authentic and interesting and I think this is what style is about: to show off the real you and feel comfortable doing so,” says Rahel Schwietering, founder of the Perfectissimo Styles personal shopping agency. The main objective in her style consultations is to make her clients realise that they are good the way they are. The session is all about teaching people how to present themselves best. It usually comprises of three steps: first, an image consultation including an analysis of the body structure and colour type, then a wardrobe con-

sultation, and finally a personal shopping experience. This is usually the biggest ‘aha’ experience, she says, because her clients then dress for the first time not only the way they already see themselves but the way they could see themselves. Her aim is not to change somebody’s way of dressing but to find clothes that display and emphasize their personality. She selects three kinds of clothes. Those that suit the clients and they already feel comfortable with, the clothes that take up the changes she has discussed with them and finally the clothes she personally sees in them. Most of her clients say: ‘Yes, I do like the outfits that incorporate the changes we have talked about, I can see myself wearing those. And I really like the items you are suggesting, too, but actually I don’t dare wearing them yet.’ According to Schwietering, many of them come back six months later and say, ‘I’m ready now for the next step, let’s do it.’ So do clothes make the woman? “Not totally,“ Sapadin explains, “However, if you’re seeking to enhance your self-confidence, paying attention to your attire, carriage and look is a good idea.” Does this suggest we should embark on yet another shopping trip and that the next dress we buy will make us happy? Dr Linda Sapadin strongly disagrees, hinting that this kind of thinking could well be a sign of low self-esteem in a person. We might use our clothes to conceal the way we feel about ourselves and mislead others but in the long run they cannot change our sense of self-worth, our body image, how much we feel loved by our family and friends. “What it does suggest, however, is that we should dress in a way that makes us feel pleased with ourselves,” Sapadin adds. This means finding our own style, feeling comfortable in our clothes and getting rid of things that make us feel fat or ugly. Choosing clothes wisely can have many dimensions — from dressing appropriately for an occasion, to finding out the styles, shapes and colours that suit us and make us feel special. If we allow our clothes to make us feel good we will soon notice a difference.It‘s up to us to make a deliberate choice; even if it‘s one we have to make every morning. 

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

DOSSIER: Your Clothes Further information � Nick Baylis, Ph.D. is Britain‘s first lecturer in the emerging fields of ‘Positive Psychology & The Science of Well-being‘ at Cambridge University and one of the founders of the Well-being Institute. His book The Rough Guide to Happiness Practical steps for all-round well-being was published in 2009 (Rough Guides/Penguin Books). Further information at www. nickbaylis.com. � Working Wardrobes is a nonprofit, nonsectarian organization dedicated to supporting survivors of domestic violence and adults in crisis on their way economic stability. This is done through a year-round series of Life Skills workshops on career development, resume writing, interviewing techniques, image enhancement, and special self-esteem events. Find out more at www.workingwardrobes.org. � Linda Sapadin, Ph.D. is a psychologist and success coach. She specializes in helping people enrich their lives, enhance their relationships and overcome selfdefeating patterns. Visit her website at www.PsychWisdom.com.

How to let your clothes make a difference Choosing clothes deliberately can have a huge impact on how we feel, says Dr Linda Sapadin, so the next time you get dressed try one of our five tips. 1 Wear your favourite clothes Clothes that make you look good will also make you feel good, they can give you a confidence boost and put a smile on your face. Don‘t just put on any old pair of jeans and a sweater and save the Sunday best for a Sunday that never comes. Choose your clothes carefully and use the positive effect they can have to put you in a good mood every day.

2 Say thank you for the memories Just like photographs clothes store memories. Use clothes that you associate with special events to help you get this mood back. The dress you wore on the first date with your partner, the shoes that carried you into that successful boardroom meeting: relive the moments and the emotions by putting them on or even displaying them nicely in your room.

3 Spend less By buying less but qualitatively better clothes you can both reduce the clutter in your wardrobe and get more out of your clothes because they will last you longer. Quality doesn‘t necessarily mean pricey. A good cut, a

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

flattering silhouette and natural - if possible organic fabrics that feel comfortable on the skin will show that you take care of yourself.

4 Experiment Finding clothes that are just right for you, your mood, your shape, your hair colour and the occasion can be quite daunting. Many stores offer personal shoppers and stylists for free. Or ask a good friend to come along with you. Listen to what they suggest, try out something new now and then and see if it works for you. Just like everything else in life, your clothing styles can change. Never stop surprising yourself.

5 Give something away By donating your clothes, that are still good but no longer worn, to charity you can make a difference to someone else‘s life. Don‘t just throw them away. Let someone else who add their story to that trouser suit that has been sitting in your wardrobe far too long. And experience how good it feels to free up the space at the same time. Check www.dressforsuccess.org for world wide contact details.

DOSSIER: Your Clothes

Life Stories

Research suggests that just like photographs, garments store memories of the stories we have experienced in them. They can become powerful symbols of change in our lives and can serve as a constant reminder of who and how we want to be. Psychologies talks to three women about their special garments and how they have changed their lives forever. Text Cerstin Henning Illustration Celil Hacioglu

ressing up has always been part of commemorating life events, says Claire Lerpiniere from the De Montfort University in Leicester. Events like that awesome 40th birthday party, that silver wedding anniversary, graduation ball or the interview that got you your dream job - that from then on will be intrinsically linked with the garment, either in its material or photographic form. That way our clothes not only serve as a means of expressing ourselves but also as a means to engage in social interactions and thus a chance of enhancing our personal identity. The experiences we have, the stories, the emotions become a part of the fabric. Just like photographs clothes are a means of keeping memories of our most special moments. And even more than photos they provide sensual, sensory information, too. That special dress from our childhood will always be linked with summer days spent roaming corn fields, the texture of the

thin fabric touching our knees; its soft blue colour like the summer sky, the soft straps hugging our shoulders, the clean smell of our mother‘s favourite washing powder. Dresses that are handed down within the family or the appeal of vintage clothes pay homage to this. By wearing them we can soak up these stories and make them become a part of us. But we can also actively create these stories ourselves by using a specific garment as a visual symbol of a conscious life decision, an anchor that connects us to all the positive energy we have put into it. Like going out and getting a new hair style, a special pair of shoes, an extraordinary dress will serve as a constant reminder of who we want to be, says Dr Linda Sapadin, author of Now I get it! Totally sensational Advice on Living and Loving (Outskirts Press). “You need the motivation and energy behind it to begin with,” she adds, “but then such a symbol can become something very positive and powerful.” Three women have told us how they have created such symbols and the effect this has had on their lives.

* Claire Lerpiniere: ‘The fabric snapshot‘ (De Montfort University, Leicester, 2009).

The dress that changed my life

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

DOSSIER: Your Clothes

Verena, 49, designer

«I couldn‘t go back to my old life with a pair of shoes like this » «After my partner accepted a job offer in Shanghai I was devastated and felt left alone. I spent most of my evenings on my own on the couch eating whatever was available mourning my loss. One day a good friend of mine took me aside and told me that I am no longer the woman he knew and that it was up to me to decide whether or not I wanted to spend the rest of my life as a couch potato. It was only then that I realised that I was beginning to lose myself and the realisation hurt. This was not who and how I wanted to be. I knew there was an Andreas Gursky exhibition, one of my favourite photographers, showing in Munich at the time and I had been secretly hoping that someone would take me there. That was when I realised if I didn’t take myself no one would. And why shouldn’t I? So, instead of spending a week off work alone at home feeling sorry for myself as I had already planned, I booked a flight to Munich to see the exhibition and stayed in an excellent four star

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

hotel for a weekend. For the same money I could have gotten a two-week vacation but I felt it was totally worth it. On my first day, a very summery day at the end of April, I visited the exhibition and went shopping afterwards. I knew from Vogue that there was only one shop in Germany that sold Manolo Blahniks at the time and that was in Munich. The shop assistants were extremely arrogant and when I asked if I could look at a pair I liked one of them said, ‘Maybe we should wait for your husband?” I so did not want to buy from them but when I discovered “my” pair nothing was able to stop me. When I slipped them on, they felt like they were made for me with their bright pink silk, 9 cm heel, and the softest leather soles. They have an ankle tie and two tiny bows in the front and on the heel. I can still remember when my fascination for Manolo Blahnik shoes started. A colleague of mine gave me a boxed set of the first Sex and The City season and even though I don’t speak English well and I could hardly understand a word, what I did understand was that these shoes were everything a woman needs in her life. Standing in front of the mirror I realised how true that was and that I had no choice but to take them home. When I arrived back at the hotel I asked the concierge if he could get me a table for that evening in an excellent restaurant I had always wanted to try. Without blinking he said that, of course, he could. I was really happy and said “That’s perfect, you know, I just bought myself a new pair of shoes I would like to take out.” He looked at me with the hint of a smile, “These aren’t shoes,” he said, “they are Manolos.” « My posture, When I came down wearing my ability to a little black dress and my new make eyepink Manolos the concierge contact, my was already waiting for me. smile, all “You don’t need a taxi,” he that changed said, “I have ordered the hotel because I was limousine.” Getting out of the proud of mycar I felt like a new woman. I self again. » was positively radiating. I don’t think it was the shoe itself that changed me but the fact that I felt worth investing in myself. My posture, my ability to make eye-contact, my smile, all that changed because I was proud of myself again. Whenever I look at them I see the woman I want to be. I have never looked back ever since. »

DOSSIER: Your Clothes Charlotta, 30, journalist

«I’m happy to have the dress as a constant reminder of the sweet, loving and energetic person he was » «I’m not a colourful person, I either wear black or neutrals. But when I saw this dress it was love at first sight. It’s a very simple red jersey summer dress but it has a pleat detail which makes it « The rest of that day special. It’s a happy dress. Buying it was a very conscious decision. When I put it is rather blurry, but on it cheered me up immediately and I I remember thinking wanted to have it in my life, showing that over and over again part of my personality to the world. that it was so wrong I also wore it on 6 August 2007, a that I was wearing beautiful summer day. I had bought some the red dress. » breakfast on my way to work and I was sitting outside in the sun having breakfast when the phone rang. It was my mum and I knew straight away that something was wrong. She called to tell me that my cousin’s son, Oscar, who had been like a little brother to me, had committed suicide. My world fell apart. I was absolutely devastated. I couldn’t speak, I just screamed. The rest of that day is rather blurry, but I remember thinking over and over again that it was so wrong that I was wearing the red dress. I guess it happens often in these cases that you get caught up in the details. I was really annoyed that everything went on like it was any other normal day, that the sun was shining and I was so anxious about wearing the red dress. After that I never wore it again. Every year when I took out my summer wardrobe and put up all my summer dresses on the hangers, I took out the red dress as well. Whenever I saw it, I thought of the tragic way Oscar’s life ended. It never occurred to me to give it away, though. It would have been like giving away a piece of my history. I still loved the dress, it only felt extremely wrong to wear it. Last summer I went on a holiday to Greece with three of my friends. It was a much needed holiday

and our plan was to simply relax, lie on the beach, have nice dinners and enjoy ourselves. I was really looking forward to it. When I decided to take that dress with me I wasn’t sure whether this was a good idea. But I gathered all my energy and told myself, ‘I’m going to wear this now and create nice memories for it instead. I’m going to use it so that when I see it I’ll be honouring the memory of Oscar with it.’ Instead of making me feel anxious about that day, I wanted it to symbolise the love I felt for him. I’m really glad I did this because I achieved two things with it. By changing my perception of that dress I managed to hold on to the wonderful memories I have of him. It’s really difficult when someone dies in such a tragic way not to let their death overshadow their life. So, I’m happy to have the dress as a constant reminder of the sweet, loving and energetic person he was. Of course, I still think of the day and the way he died, too, but more in the sense that I miss him and the happy times we had together. The other thing that it showed me was that I’m in control of how I want to feel about events in my life. Realising that I can do this was a very powerful experience.»

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

DOSSIER: Your Clothes Hedwig, 61, head teacher

«Every year wearing my wedding dress brings back magic memories » «As it was the custom at the time, I was accompanied by my parents to buy my wedding dress in the next big city, Cologne. I loved the way it made me feel special and beautiful and thought it would really be a shame never to wear it again or even give it away. So when my first wedding anniversary came along I decided to put it on again and my husband and I drove the 20 km to where my parents lived to give them a surprise. I can still remember the way other people smiled at us and were happy to see a “fresh” bride. That was when the tradition started and I haven’t missed a single wedding anniversary in it. My children were born in May and June so on July 19th I was always able to fit into it again. Friends of mine own a dry cleaning service and they offered to clean it for free every year if I promised to hold on to the tradition. So it looks the way it did on my very first wedding day when I take it out every year. After 25 years, for my silver wedding anniversary, my dress had to be altered for the first time and I had a piece of fabric sewn into the back. Every year, my husband and I come up with a different idea how we want to celebrate our special day. We had a Sixties theme party, where we asked all our family and friends to come dressed like they would have been dressed on

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

our original wedding day. Once we made a luxurious Champagne picnic in the park, and another year a party in a beer garden. Clothes have always played an important « Sometimes I just role in my life and browse through through the years I my clothes like have collected special I would browse pieces in a separate through books, wardrobe. Sometimes and each and eve- I take them out and ry one reminds wear them or my me of a story of daughter borrows my life. » them for special occasions and sometimes I just browse through them like I would browse through books, and each and every one reminds me of a story of my life. But my wedding dress is probably the one whose story has changed my life most profoundly. I love the fact that I can remember not just one but 41 wonderful wedding days in it. » 

DOSSIER: Your Clothes

Experiment

Can a stylist make a difference?

Choosing clothes that give off the impressions she wants, that feel true to herself and are professional at the same time, is a daily struggle for Elissa Callaghan. A struggle that more often than not ends in the same pair of jeans, comfortable top and a slight feeling of uneasiness that she would like to make more of herself but doesn‘t now how. Can a stylist change that? And if so, is this a good idea? Text Cerstin Henning Photograph Paul Dingwall Styling Kirsty Fong Elissa Callaghan is sorting the clothes in her wardrobe into three piles: first the ones she has worn regularly during the last couple of months. Then come the ones she hasn’t worn because they don’t fit or make her feel uncomfortable, and finally the ones she would like to wear but doesn’t know if they really suit her, how to wear them and how to combine them. The result is striking. Not even a quarter of all her clothes are worn regularly, almost half of them she doesn’t put on any more, and another quarter have actually never been left the wardrobe. Most of them have still got their price tags attached. Elissa is in for a real treat. Stylist Kirsty Fong offered her a style

consultation. Elissa knows that having things she feels good in and that fit her well makes a big difference. So, when a permanent job offer comes along, she is happy to give it a try. Since she cannot afford anything new, Kirsty is helping her to understand which of the clothes in her wardrobe actually suit her and flatter her shape, how to look professional in the clothes she has and how to combine the existing pieces with each other in a new way. The stylist makes her start with a much needed rethink of what she already owns. She wants to focus on the clothes Elissa is most insecure about. Their aim is to come up with three different outfits she can wear dressed up for going out and

dressed down for work. When Elissa moved to London from her home town Brisbane, Australia, nine months ago, the English teacher found it hard to get a job and has been working as a cover teacher for the last couple of months. She also gained 5 lbs from sitting indoors most of the time, missing the sun and the beach. In spite of being clever and funny with deadpan cynical comments that make you crack up laughing, she describes herself as “confident on the outside but not so much on the inside”. Her frame looks tiny, she has luscious brown hair, kind, brown eyes and a waist to die for. Yet, she is clearly not happy in her skin nor in the clothes she wears. “I’m generally happy with the top part of my body and not so much with the bottom part,” she explains. She admires women who look like they have found their style, and is bored of the things she would normally buy because she feels they are

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

DOSSIER: Your Clothes

‘safe’. “I basically wear just one pair of jeans and five different tops every day,” she admits, “but I’d like to wear more dresses and really make more of an effort.” She doesn’t know how to find and choose clothes that really suit her. “One day I spent three hours walking around the shops not buying anything because I just didn’t know what I was doing.” Like many women she doesn’t want to be too noticeable and yet she wants to be noticed. Kirsty encourages Elissa to put on a charcoal grey dress with a drop neckline and a flattering tulip shape skirt part she has kept in the closet for special occasions. “I bought it for work but I’ve only ever worn it to a party,” she explains, “Do you really think I could wear this to work?” According to the stylist, she definitely can. Kirsty explains how she can make the most out of her clothes by forgetting the distinction in her head between daytime and going-out clothes, and just vamp them up with striking accessories

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

when going out or tone them down with a pair of leggings underneath or a cardigan on top for work. Elissa looks gorgeous in the charcoal dress but isn’t sure if she could really wear this on a daily basis. As a teacher she wants to keep it simple. “I do think this is perfect for work but I don’t want you to wear something that makes you feel uncomfortable,” Kirsty advises, “if you feel too exposed, leave it be.” Elissa hesitates for a second, then she bursts out, “I’m sick of being the plain Jane, I want to look nice for a change,” when she realises that she looks – and feels - good in the dress. The second outfit the stylist suggests is a high-waisted black skirt with a huge bow in the front and a leopard print shirt she really likes but was always afraid would make her look cheap; two items of clothing Elissa has always been wanting to wear but didn’t really know how. Together they make a classy combination, that really flatters her shape. “This makes the top of me look re-

ally tiny,” she agrees and her body straightens up a bit more. As a third outfit, the stylist suggests a dress that she can wear with black tights and a pair of heels to a party or layered over a tube skirt or slim pants and a simple wrap cardigan to work. It has been sitting in her wardrobe for quite a while now because she wasn’t sure if she could actually pull it off. Kirsty is all encouragment, “you look amazing, this dress really accentuates your small shoulders and waist, making you look very feminine,” she says. At the end Elissa is happy with the outfits she has discovered in her wardrobe and is looking forward to wearing them as soon as possible. ”I’m so happy with the whole experience,” she says. Her plan is to wear the black skirt with the bow and the leopard print top to work the next day. What she liked best about the styling session? Elissa looks at herself in the mirror and smiles, “that the woman in the mirror still looks like me, only better.”

DOSSIER: Your Clothes

One month later

Elissa before...

and after.

“I have never had so many people tell me I look nice in years, and years, and years,” Elissa smiles, when she talks about the experience. It seems that seeing herself in the mirror and in the pictures altered her perception of herself and helped her focus on her assets. “I still feel better after that day,” she explains, “What I like most about my new outfits is that they do feel like me, but more like a new me, really.” She likes herself in the clothes Kirsty suggested, but she also feels she now knows better what suits her and how to combine items. “I have learned how to put together some really nice outfits,” she says, “which I’ve already worn to work and to a party last Saturday.” Perhaps the major difference the styling session has made is that she is now looking forward to trying out other clothes, things she wouldn’t have dared trying on before. “I’ve

started looking at magazines and women in the street to figure out what I like and what I would like to try on myself.” Whereas before her clothes were basically “mostly about trying to keep warm in the London climate”, she feels more like making an effort now. She admits, she didn’t think Kirsty would be able to make much with her own clothes, and is really surprised that it did make such a difference. Seeing herself in the outfits made Elissa realise her potential. “Before I thought that I could look okay, but that there was no way I could actually look really nice, or even slightly glamorous,” Elissa explains, “but now I do. I have seen it and I have the pictures to prove it”. She has seen the difference clothes can make and has started to embrace her assets. “It felt good to find out that I can look like this if I want to,” she smiles.

What the Stylist says I asked Elissa to sort through her wardrobe first so that I could see what she already feels comfortable with and what she would like to try. 86% of all women in Britain have clothes in their closets that have never been worn. Elissa is one of them, not because they don’t fit but simply because she doesn’t know how to wear and combine them. When first assessing her body shape I realised she can wear almost anything - she has the flat stomach and tiny waist every woman dreams of. I thought this consultation would be really easy. During our initial consultation I became aware that she had issues with her thighs and bum and this was something that a day of consulting and some clothes couldn’t really change. Thus, I decided to concentrate on making her feel good about the parts of her body she liked. Going through her wardrobe I did find quite a few classics that will never go out of date. The skirt with the giant bow detail was a first choice. I was also excited about the leopard print top. Elissa didn’t seem hugely enthusiastic about it but putting it on her greatest asset, her waist, 18

made her feel more comfortable with such a rather eye-catching print. I think it’s really important to branch out as opposed to leap blindly! It was most important to me that she still felt comfortable and her clothes expressed her personality. If you don’t feel comfortable on the inside, you can’t show it on the outside! People sometimes assume that a stylist wants to enforce their own taste but that’s not the point of a styling session at all. The day was about Elissa, her personality, her culture, and her comfort. I immediately thought Elissa was very attractive but she needed to see it and believe it for herself. I love the fact that this styling session has had such an impact on her while using only what she already owns. She was positively radiating during the photo shoot. A single session won’t change her life but I do feel learning how to combine and style some of her clothes has made a real difference.  Psychologies Magazine February 2011

DOSSIER: Your Clothes Q&A

Fashion consciousness Green is the new black, they say. But what exactly is Green Fashion and why should we wear it? Dr Kirsten Diekamp explains More and more women and men no longer want to buy and wear whatever conventional fashion shops offer. They want to use their clothes to make ecological statements. They do not want others to suffer for their consumption. By making a deliberate choice when buying clothes they want to influence the ways clothes are produced. Dr Kirsten Diekamp is a sociologist with a passion for fashion. For years she has been wondering what consumers can do to introduce more responsibility and ecological awareness into their relationship with the clothes they wear. Psychologies: What is “Green Fashion”? Kirsten Diekamp: This question goes right into the heart of the matter. What is Green Fashion? Neither consumers nor producers can really answer this question. The term itself covers a huge range of notions: green fashion, sustainable fashion, ecological fashion, organic fashion, ethical fashion, etc. Consumers wonder what it is exactly they are getting when they buy Green Fashion, in how far it differs from conventional fashion. Producers and designers define Green Fashion from their subjective point-of-view which shows in the different criteria and parameters – organic cotton, environmentally friendly, fair trade, animal free, carbon footprint, handmade,

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

slow design, recycling, refashion – to name but a few. It is really difficult to answer this question conclusively. And on top of that it keeps changing. Whereas textile ecological criteria were prevailing in the 1990s, currently it’s all about fair trade. This ambiguity makes it rather difficult for consumers to chop their ways through the undergrowth of ecological fashion. Labels and certificates more often than not confuse rather then help. Quite a few producers meet ecological criteria but don’t advertise it. So, what is Green Fashion? It’s a rather complicated attempt to counter the giant of conventional fashion. How important is Green Fashion at the moment? Which developments can you see? One can definitely say that the significance of Green Fashion is increasing. New designers with all sorts of concepts set up their business almost every day, which can also be seen in the list of designers on our website www. worldofecofashion.de. Consumers become more and more sensitive about the question of sustainability, with fashion slowly following in the footsteps of food and cosmetics. When it comes to globalization, something the textile chain is most affected by or – more

Dr Kirsten Diekamp is a sociology lecturer at Bremen University and together with her husband Werner Koch author of “Eco Fashion”, published in September 2010. In their book they casts a light on Green Fashion and provide critical consumers with a wealth of information on the subject and ways to introduce ecological fashion into their lives.

DOSSIER: Your Clothes

A choice against cheap, poorly made fashion might lead to a permanent change in our consumption of clothes. provocatively said – most profiting from, consumers, too, have only recently started to realise their power and refuse unfair working conditions and ecologically not acceptable products. The time is ripe for Green Fashion and as different as the criteria may be – fair trade, carbon footprint, “no chemistry on my skin” – they are meeting a rather good breeding ground. The chance of it being not just a momentary trend or even hype but here to stay is rather big. Whether Green Fashion can make the leap out of its niche into the mass market is questionable, though. Until then it will remain hard for all those small scale businesses. Whether big businesses like H&M or Zara, which have recently started to include sustainable fashion in their range, keep up with that trend and what criteria they will be willing to meet in the future, remains to be seen. But since both small and big businesses are targeting the subject and more and more consumers refuse to accept unfair, ecologically unsound pieces in their wardrobes, the development to me seems rather positive. I do hope that Green Fashion will manage to not just stir up the conventional mass market but to actually establish itself in the long run. Ecological Fashion is often more expensive. What do you think about its image as a “luxury product” that only a small minority can actually afford? I do agree that ecological fashion is offered – and has to be offered – at more expensive

prices because of the higher production costs involved in comparison to mass market products. Eventually, we all have to look who’s talking. Clothes have become a lot cheaper over the last years, quantitatively we have been able to afford a lot more then generations before us. And yet, what suffered was the quality. We consume a lot more and at the same time the quality becomes poorer, so that we have to buy something new even more often. Cultural skills like mending, darning, refitting let alone sewing have become forgotten. Each and everyone of us can choose between a cheap, poorly made (mass) product and a more expensive garment of higher quality. A choice that might lead to a permanent change in our consumption of clothes. How do you personally choose your clothes? I find myself laying importance on the cut, the comfort and the feeling I get when wearing it all day long. I need clothes I can combine easily and that go with the clothes I already have in my wardrobe. I force myself to not buy something that looks amazing but I know I will eventually not wear, like blouses in light, transparent fabrics

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

Photograph: Raphaël Labbé

DOSSIER: Your Clothes

or garments with extravagant, low necklines. I just know from experience that they will hardly be worn, mainly because I’m often cold. Every time I find something that really suits me and my type, something I have been searching for for a long time, that matches other items in my wardrobe and is of a high quality and easy to take care of, I just know I’ll cherish it and be happy with it for years. Two weeks ago I found such a gem, a black, tailored blazer in a felt-like woollen fabric that can be worn casually and elegantly depending on the combination. My clothes are somewhat ecological in that I take really good care of them, wear them for a long time, choose a good quality and often mend them, too. That said, unfortunately I own only a few pieces that are actually certified ecologically produced. Like many other consumers I, too, am facing the dilemma that the range of Green Fashion on offer in my city is pretty small, sold in two shops – not even in the city centre - only and mostly consisting of t-shirts, hoodies and jeans, which seldom meet my business lifestyle and style expectations. I don’t like buying online because it’s so much of a hassle. But I do notice

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

that I feel differently when I wear explicitly ecological pieces and that I wear a bit of a morally sound, good conscience together with them What is your advice for women who would like to shop more ecologically? It is generally still quite difficult to buy Green Fashion in conventional shops or large malls. Most information can be found on the internet. When my husband and I founded the website World of Eco Fashion we realised that information on Green Fashion, producers and shops are still very hard to find. We have a list of designers and the different criteria of sustainable fashion they meet. But Green Fashion means more than that. It’s about asking ourselves fundamental questions again and again. Do I really need this? Can I combine it with what I have already got? Can I see myself still wearing it in months and years to come? What do I do with clothes I no longer wear? Can I give them away, sell them or could I maybe alter them and make something new out of them? It’s about buying and using fashion consciously. 

Further reading

Green is the New Black by Tamsin Blanchard (Hodder) Clean Clothes: A Global Movement to End Sweatshops: The Story of the Clean Clothes Movement by Liesbeth Sluiter (Pluto Press) Eco Chic: The Savvy Shoppers Guide to Ethical Fashion by Matilda Lee (Gaia Books)

*Attrill, Martin J.; Gresty, Karen A.; Hill, Russell A.; Barton, Robert A.. „Red shirt colour is associated with long-term team success in English football“ Journal of Sports Sciences 26.6 (2008). **Niesta Kayser, D., Elliot, A. J. and Feltman, R. (2010), Red and romantic behavior in men viewing women. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40: 901–908.

Style Portraits

The Power of Red

It’s the colour of passion, love and sin. It symbolises danger and royalty. No other colour is associated with as much energy. So can wearing red affect our mood, too?

Photograph Paul Dingwall

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

DOSSIER: Your Clothes

hen in doubt wear red,“ iconic 1970s fashion designer Bill Blass once said. Several studies have indicated that red carries the strongest reaction of all the colours. Red catches people’s attention; a red light makes us stop in our tracks; a red fruit signals its ripeness. We use the term “code red” for high alert, roll out the “red carpet” for VIPs, refer to something that is really hot as “red hot.” It is associated with love, blood and

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

the fundamental notions of life and death, with danger and emergency, with anger, heat, passion and sin, but also power and prestige. It is the colour of the heart, often used for intense emotions and concepts. Red is also the colour of the first chakra, located at the base of the spine, and associated with all the basic things that we need for survival, that give us security and allow us to live. In China, red is associated with good luck and fortune. Here in England, red phone booths and red double decker buses are national icons. In India, a red mark on the forehead is said to bring good luck. To the Hindu, red symbolizes joy, life, energy, and creativity. Islamic, Hindu, and Chinese brides traditionally wear red. The belief in the protective power of the colour red can be traced back to the old Chinese folklore of the Nian, a maneating beast of ancient China who used to feed on human flesh. When people discovered that Nian was deterred by loud noises and the colour red, they used the colour not only for their firecrackers, but also for home decorations and clothing to protect themselves. In The Wizard of Oz, magical ruby red slippers finally take Dorothy safely back home. So does wearing red affect us? Re-

search* by scientists at Durham and Plymouth universities suggests that football teams with red home shirts are more successful than those wearing any other colour. They put it down to a deepseated biological response to colours, probably resulting in a positive psychological boost from wearing red, or being impaired when having to face a red opponent. “Red is the colour of action. It is an ‘I am’ feeling. ‘I exist, I am present, I am physical, I am strong’,” says Dr Doris Jeanette, a licensed psychologist with an alternative approach. It can have an affect on the people around us, but it has an even stronger effect on ourselves. “We all need a healthy dose of red to be vibrant,” says Jeanette. A recent study** indicates that women who wear red attract more men and vice versa. “Red is an aphrodisiac,” says Andrew Elliot, a University of Rochester psychology professor and one of the authors of the study. Their findings indicate that colour “not only has aesthetic value but can carry meaning and impact psychological functioning in subtle, important, and provocative ways,” the researchers said. We have talked to three women about how wearing red makes them feel and the difference it has made in their lives.

There is something demanding and powerful about the colour red.

DOSSIER: Your Clothes Libby, 18, student

It‘s the colour my mother always wears

To me, red is a very strong colour, it’s very “out there” so someone who wears it needs to be “out there” as well. The minute I put on one of my red dresses I notice I stand taller, and when I look in the mirror it changes the way I think about myself. Red is very much my mother’s signature colour. I remember her going out in one of her red dresses or wearing her red coat and thinking, it’s a very womanly colour, one you can only wear when you’re a real grown-up. It’s only recently that I have actually felt like wearing red. I had been way too shy to wear it previously. Also, it used to be far more important for me to fit in than anything else. But now it feels okay to be different and I like to show that I’m happy with the way I am. Being admitted at London College of Fashion and moving to London definitely helped fostering that change. Now, whenever I go to the shops I head straight for the red things. It’s probably the colour I own most of. I have quite a few red day dresses and skirts, some evening dresses and three pairs of red shoes, including my treasured sparkling Dorothy shoes. Seeing so many muted colours, especially black, in the streets every day, makes me appreciate red even more. It’s so much more exciting. I think guys hardly ever notice what I wear but when I wear something red this changes. I get a lot of comments from men but I would never wear it for that. I wear red for the way it makes me feel inside. I wore my red sparkling Dorothy shoes to my interview at London College of Fashion and it gave me an instant confidence boost. So when I got an interview at Vogue for an internship I put them on again and it worked, they offered me a place. I think wearing these shoes it felt a bit like I had a friend with me. They have successfully walked me into London College of Fashion and they gave me the confidence to walk into the Vogue office with my head held high.

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

DOSSIER: Your Clothes

Claire, 23, project administrator

Photograph of Libby by Shannon Yang. Photograph of Claire by Paul Dingwall, Styling Kirsty Fong, Make-up Maria Rivero-Bosch.

I wear red for the way it makes me feel I love red but I also like the way that colour makes me feel in general. I find it depressing when I go on the tube and all I see is a sea of black. So wearing red is a fun thing for me and it’s okay that it gets me noticed. I have always liked colour, but after moving to Berlin the colours I wore became a lot brighter. Taking myself abroad gave me a lot of confidence and allowed me accept myself and my body even more. So when I moved back to England and then to London this feeling just lasted which shows in the colours I wear. It’s very difficult for me to dress my curvy figure, mostly because high street shops just don’t offer clothes that actually fit me. I don’t go to TopShop because there is actually no point for me even looking and I spare myself the frustrating and depressing experience. But on the other hand, charity shops and vintage shops are a real treasure chest for me because the clothes I find there are often more suitable for my figure. What I do is, I try to show off my figure without actually showing it off, like I wear tops that accentu-

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

ate my boobs but without showing any cleavage. It’s a very hard balance to get. Whatever I wear, I always get a lot of comments about my boobs, mostly from girls, but from guys as well. I think they see it as a compliment, but the thing is, it used to make me feel quite uncomfortable because it made me conscious of the fact that they are looking at my chest. It took me a long time and a lot of conscious effort to learn to love myself but ever since I have never looked back. Nowadays, I no longer wish my body to be different. I have learned to love it and I’m happy to show it. I have realised when I wear red it makes me feel at the same time both, very womanly and very noticeable, and this how I want to be.

DOSSIER: Your Clothes Rahel, 28, personal shopper

I cannot hide anyway so I want to stand out Everyone wears black, women to feel secure, men because there hardly is a suit that isn‘t black, dark grey or navy in the shops. So by wearing red I differentiate myself from the others and get myself noticed. I learned from an early age that with my height of 5’10 and my red hair I cannot hide anyway. So I use both to my advantage and play to the gallery because every public appearance is a trading floor for me, too. It is very important to me to dress womanly and red to me is the ultimate feminine colour. I am a woman and I love being a woman and I use it to my advantage. You would never see me in no-fit or boyfriend jeans because they simply hide too much of my curves. Depending on where I am I also like sexy outfits and I use my feminine assets deliberately - not cheap or girly but womanly in the true sense of the word. I love red evening dresses, especially those with a very low back line. There are weapons only a woman can use and I think, every woman should make use of them as best as she can. 

Six steps towards a life in red 1 Find the right red. Not all reds are created equal. Ask a colour consultant or simply go to a department store and try on reds until you know which one looks best on you. 2 Wear it invisibly. By investing in a red lingerie set, even if no one else sees it, you will always know it and that knowledge will change your perception of yourself. Red underwear can make you feel immediately more feminine and sexy without you having to show it.

3 Wear just a flash of red. Even if you are shy or need to look rather conservative, a dash of red lipstick, a red lining that shows only when you move, or red soles of heels will not shout but subtly say how sexy and powerful you are. 4 Add red accessories. Team up black or neutral staples with red accessories. Red tights, a red scarf, red gloves or a red handbag will instantly brighten up your outfit. Pick just one or two to make your statement.

5 Mix red with other colours. Combining black or neutrals with red is good if you want to be noticed but don’t want to go all the way. Mix red with black and white or camel for a tuned down version. 6 Go all the way. By wearing one major red item, a dress or a coat, you can be sure of other people’s attention. It is the most striking colour, both powerful and sexy. Give it a try and dare to be noticed. You’ll not want to go back to the sea of black ever again.

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

DOSSIER: Your Clothes

First Person

Retail therapy Fashion and art have always been staples in Ursel Braun‘s life. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer they helped her face the battle in and out of the hospital. Interview Cerstin Henning Photograph Florian Rathgeber

here was never a time when I didn‘t care about the clothes I wore. I wanted to look good especially for myself but also for my visitors and the doctors. All the times when I was facing the most fundamental questions of life and death not even once did I think of myself as superficial or shallow. Caring enough about the clothes I wore was a sign of my will to live. I wanted to be seen. And even though I was so scared, I was so helpless and felt like a complete wreck most of the time, I also felt like throwing out an anchor towards life by having these clothes around me. Being one of hundreds of women in the breast cancer ward I was acutely aware of the fact that most phy-

There was never a time when I didn‘t care about the clothes I wore. Psychologies Magazine February 2011

sicians couldn‘t care less about the person behind the illness. I wanted to use all the means I had to be noticed by the doctors, to make them realise how special I was and to treat me accordingly. And it worked. After the doctors messed up my first operation in my small home town hospital, I was transferred to one of the best breast cancer units and was treated by an enormously conceited, and rather good-looking, globally renowned specialist, the one with ‘golden operation hands’. On the day after my mastectomy with all the drainages still in my body I wore red pyjamas in a wonderfully luxurious, cosy fabric. I stood in front of a mirror with four doctors, three of them men, staring at me. I had to take off the pyjama jacket and the head physician of the department, the one with the golden hands, said, “We‘re going to take off the bandages now and we‘re going to stand here waiting until you have looked at yourself in the mirror.” They explained that they always do this because it is vitally important for the patients to confront themselves with reality and to start the process of acceptance.

DOSSIER: Your Clothes

Buying clothes to me is a real investment in my future and a way of saying yes to my life. I had no idea that this would be happening and was really scared but I vividly remember saying to myself, “At least I‘m wearing these beautiful pyjamas and whatever is going to happen and what ever I‘m going to see, I will always be wearing the beautiful red pyjama trousers with the wonderful pink silk belt.” And I looked into the mirror and then the doctor asked me what I thought of it and I told him it could be worse and then he said, “By the way, the red looks really good on you.” In that moment I realised that my life as a woman was not over yet. Clothes have always played an important role in my life, as much before my illness as now. To me, they are an expression of my identity. It might sound absurd but when I went into hospital not knowing whether I would get out of it alive it was still extremely important for me to be surrounded by beautiful things. They are a constant source of happiness for me. Buying clothes to me is a real investment in my future and a way of saying yes to my life. Three days after my operation one of my best friends came to visit me in the hospital. I stuffed the tubes and liquid bags into my pockets, covered myself in the black coat and together we went by taxi to the city centre where I spend almost two hours bathing in the beauty of gorgeous designer clothes. It felt like a visit to the most inspiring art exhibition. I bought myself the softest cashmere beanie and scarf at Strenesse, feeling totally revived and thinking I am so worthy of all this. Only in the taxi on my way back to the hospital did I realise how exhausted I was. In retrospect this was one of the best things I could have done: It distracted me and it made me realise that I needed to become well again as soon as possible to be able to wear all these beautiful things again. Which is what I did. There isn‘t a huge difference in my style be-

fore and after my illness. The only difference were the times in hospital where I had to wear special kinds of pyjamas, not night gowns, with buttonedthrough shirts and separate trousers that allowed easy access to my upper body. Right before and after the operations and during rehab I lived in track suits, which hadn‘t existed in my wardrobe before. I still tried my best to find the most elegant, luxurious pieces available and in that way they became an expression of my personality – even if only on a small scale. But, especially at the times in hospital, it was even more important for my clothes to keep me warm and cosy and to protect me. Protect me from my own fear and from preying eyes at the same time. Back home I mostly wanted my clothes to be comfortable, loose and not painful. I decided not to wear high heels any more, not even for evening events. At a height of 5’1 that is a real statement but one I totally wanted to make. My body had been hurt so much and I had been in so much pain that I didn‘t want to inflict even more pain on myself. Only now, six years later, I am slowly starting to introduce them back into my life. When I returned home by train with the drainage tubes still coming out of my body and bags for the disgusting reddish wound liquid in my pockets I covered myself up in a wide black woollen coat with a fake fur collar. It was winter and I got a strong feeling of protection from it; from the cold but even more so from other people‘s looks. I was so glad no one could see any of this and that I could just pass off as any other normal person. I kept the coat in a suitcase for a long time, always thinking I might need it again but also having to face the memories whenever I saw it. It was years later before I was able to give it away which was part of a very conscious decision not to be ill anymore, not to be needing it anymore. Through all the times my partner of thirteen years has been a rock and when I decided against a non-breast-preserving operation he supported me

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

Photograph Florian Rathgeber at the V&A Museum, London.

DOSSIER: Your Clothes

all the way. I knew he really meant it when he said it would not make a difference for him in seeing me as a woman but undressing for the first time still was a huge step. He took me in his arms ever so lightly and said from now on he would call me his little unicorn and one breast was more than enough for him. Ever since I haven‘t had the slightest doubt that he still finds me extremely attractive and more often than not he cannot keep his hands off me for which I am more than grateful. It was a real revelation to find out that with the right mammary prosthesis underwear I can completely hide the mastectomy and thus my illness from other people. With my small frame I have always worn figure hugging clothes. I did not want to start wearing wide tent-like tops, but because of the special kind of underwear I needed to slightly adjust my look. So what I now do is I still wear my summer dresses but with a little tank top underneath and in winter, also because of the medicine I need to take and the hot flushes it causes, I wear my clothes in layers which are easy to take off and put on again. For a long time I wore wrap tops that felt like a very soft protective armour and it‘s still important to me to wear materials that hide the nipple on the remaining breast so that no one can see that there is a difference between the two. I don‘t want to be confronted with the illness time and again any more, definitely not by people who just see me in the street, people I don‘t even know. I don‘t want to be reduced to a person with the illness; I want to keep it as far out of my life as possible. I have spent the equivalent of a built-in kitchen on a coat by Issey Miyake. When I first saw it in the Issey Miyake shop on a trip to New York I went there everyday, sneaking around it several times but felt I couldn‘t spend such a ridiculous amount

I bought myself the softest cashmere beanie and scarf at Strenesse feeling totally revived and thinking I am so worthy of all this.

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

of money on a coat. On the plane I already regretted it bitterly. Back home it took me a lot of time and effort to find a shop that was able to order it for me. I ended up paying even more for it because of the exchange rate but have never regretted it. It’s timeless and classic and I love the fact that I can see myself still wearing it in thirty years. 

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

DOSSIER: Your Clothes

Interview

The little blue dress Meike Winnemuth is curious. About life in general but also about the meaning of clothes in our lives. Last November the former German Cosmo editor finished an unusual experiment. She wore the same blue dress for a whole year. And learned a lot from it - not just about clothes.

an you imagine wearing the same dress every day for a whole year? Meike Winnemuth could and did. And yet, the renowned 50-year-old fashion journalist, former editor of German Cosmopolitan, Park Avenue and Amica and now freelance writer for the SZ Magazine, GeoSaison, Architektur und Wohnen, Merian and Myself to name but a few cherishes clothes like any other woman. So, even though she spent a whole year wearing the same dress, she made a point of looking different every day trying to show how much one can actually get out of a single garment. By teaming it up with different accessories and other garments she managed to adapt it to the various official and private occasions she faced, including a business trip to South Africa, learning to ski, relaxing on the beach, or sitting ‘dress for success like in the front row of a fashion show in Milan. A few official events were real challenges, though, like the Cosmopolitan Prix de Beauté night, an award cere-

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

mony for the cosmetic products of the year, where she was expected to appear in a formal dress. She solved the problem by wearing her dress knotted like a bolero over a dark blue evening gown. ”I only realised then how creative one can become with a garment,” she adds, “I even contemplated wearing it as a turban.” The dress she has spent a whole year in is a very simple buttoned-through shirt dress made of a hightech elasticated breathable fabric, which is also used for sports garments. “It dries in a flash and needs no ironing at all, it’s the perfect fabric for travelling because it‘s almost indestructible,” she explains, “I swear this dress and cockroaches will survive a future atomic war.” While preparing herself for the project she couldn‘t find an existing dress in a shop that she thought was suitable. Instead, she had it custom-made by Katharina Hovman, a fashion designer who specialises in high-tech high quality basics for business women who travel a lot. “When I contacted Katharina with my project idea she fell over laughing,” Winnemuth remembers, “and then she said that she would love to do it.” The two women discussed cuts and colours and aspects like the button-down front Winnemuth had in mind. Hovman added a few details like the rather big collar which can be tied up or worn openly over the shoulder and even worn inside to create something like a V-neck. Even though she describes herself as a tomboy type, having worn jeans and t-shirts for most of her life, she was sure she wanted this garment to be a dress because it would be a complete outfit in itself. Still she was amazed by the effect this had on her. “This dress changed me from the outside in,” she explains, “and really brought out my feminine side.” It really suits her tall, lanky frame of 5’10. When asked about her choice of colour the answer comes immediately,

DOSSIER: Your Clothes

I learned first hand how true the adage of less is more is “Firstly I‘m from North Germany and dark blue is our national colour, every colour is allowed as long as it is dark blue,” she admits with a smile, “I also wanted a colour that isn‘t too striking, it’s easy to combine and can be worn at social events.” She didn‘t choose black because she felt it would have been too hard and warm in the summer. Looking back there is nothing she regrets about her choice and she would choose the very same dress again if she were to repeat the project. “It was absolutely perfect,” she declares. For practical reasons, she had three versions of it, each was worn in turn and had to undergo about a hundred washes over the year. “When buying clothes nowadays at H&M for example, we no longer think about the quality and longevity of materials,” she suggests, “because we expect to throw the garment away anyway sooner or later.” And just like choosing high quality fabrics, taking good care of her dresses was vital. “I developed a new kind of gentleness with the dresses,” she explains, “washing them really carefully, laying them down to dry for them to keep their shape, working really hard at caring for them.” It reminded her of our ancestors about a hundred years ago, who had two or three shirts only, one for Sundays, which had to be treated with care and mended when necessary, to survive for as long as possible. Wi n ne mut h started her experiment in November 2009 and documented it every day in her blog www.daskleineblaue.de. She allowed herself to

combine the dress with other items and accessories, like coats, jackets, scarves and tights, or wearing it over a pair of jeans or underneath a skirt. “I wanted to prove that you can actually get 365 different looks out of one garment and it was my ambition not to look the same on any two days of the year,” she explains. She borrowed accessories from friends and was sent things from fans of her blog. Even strangers lent her clothes and jewellery from their closets, which she thought was incredibly nice. “It was a very communicative project,” she says, “the idea started many a conversation with women about their ways of dressing because people involuntarily start to wonder whether they could do this, too, and what kind of dress they would choose.” Winnemuth really liked the way it made herself and others reflect about clothes and their meaning in our lives. Also, she enjoyed the way talking about clothes more often than not gave way to talking about people‘s personalities on a much deeper level. What was rather astonishing to her was that when she changed jobs the people she worked with and who didn‘t know her so well didn‘t even notice the fact that she turned up in the same dress every day. “That was the most surprising realisation,” she admits, “we always dress for others, we don‘t want to bore them with the same kinds of clothes every day, we work hard at presenting different aspects of our personalities, moods and trends, and they don‘t even notice it.” The journalist is interested in fashion as a social phenomenon, in the way women dress and how they employ clothes to present themselves and their personalities to the outside world. Yet she also believes that her own way of dressing hasn‘t changed much over the last ten to fifteen years. “Like most women I have developed my own style over the years and become somewhat more independent from seasonal trends,” she says. Still, her year with the blue dress and its sister project “So long”, where she got rid of one item of her belongings every day, has elicited quite a few insights. “I learned first hand how true the old adage of less is more is and how liberating it can feel to let go of things that have been sitting in my home for far too long without being used,” she confirms, “just like being playful with the garments one has already got can release a wealth of creative combinations that feel like owning something new every day.” Winnemuth confesses having spent many Saturdays browsing the shops, not really finding anything she wanted,

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

but buying something anyway just so that she wouldn‘t return empty handed having wasted a whole afternoon. She has realised that this has definitely changed within the course of the year and she hopes the change towards being more critical and frugal is for good. “Now I look at every item I want to buy and ask myself whether I might still love it in six months time,” she explains, “Usually the answer is no.” Meike Winnemuth‘s experiences confirm two important findings from the psychological field of wellbeing research: that the smaller the range we can choose from the more content we are with our choice and that letting go of clutter in our lives frees a lot of energy. When the experiment ended on 11 November 2010 she expected to be thrilled by having a huge choice again but instead she stood rather confused in front of her wardrobe. “Then something strange happened,” she elaborates, “even though I had been giving away so many things over the last year I still had the urge to throw out even more. I further reduced the contents of my wardrobe to almost half its former size.” She believes she will not miss a single thing. The little blue dress, however, is still there and she hasn‘t gotten sick of it. On the contrary, it was like a second skin to her for a year and the emotional connection she has with it is a strong one. “It recovers from the year,” she says, “and from me but it will always be an important garment in my life and will definitely have a permanent place in it.” More than anything the dress made her realise how little she needs, what is a burden and what is a relief. The whole experiment made her less interested in upgrading her wardrobe and more interested in exploring the subject of clothes, their meaning in life and the art of reduction. While still wearing the blue dress, Meike Winnemuth took part in the German version of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” and won the incredible amount of half a million Euro, which she took to fund her current project. With a travelling wardrobe of nine pieces, she has embarked on a year long journey, living in a different city each month, starting in January 2011 with Sydney. The nine items, a pair of leggings she already owned and three blouses, two skirts, a pair of trousers, a jacket and a dress, which were created by Katharina Hovman, too, can be mixed and matched perfectly. They are accompanied by a pair of flip flops, a pair of ballerinas, a pair of Chucks and a decent pair of running shoes. “My plan is minimal travel in style,” she explains her concept of travelling for a year with a suitcase

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

most of us wouldn’t even get by with for a single weekend. After Sydney she will fly to Buenos Aires, then Mumbai, Tokio, Shanghai, London, Copenhagen, Riga, San Francisco, Tel Aviv, Addis Abeba and finally Havanna in December. She writes about it in a blog called “vor mir die Welt” (in front of me the world), inspired by the song “La Paloma” by Hans Albers. When she talks about it she sings the line in perfect key, about the wind that carries her through life with the whole world in front of her. She is sure that, where ever the wind will take her, she’ll be stylish and well-dressed every step of the way.  For more information about Meike Winnemuth and her projects visit www.daskleineblaue.de and www. vormirdiewelt.de.

Three ways of zen dressing 1 Imagine all your clothes were lost. Which ones would you replace first? What would you miss most? Asking yourself these questions will help you find out what you really need. Get rid of all the rest and experience the lightness of being. 2 Pack everything you need for your holiday and then leave half of it at home. Tell yourself that you’ll buy it there if you’re really missing something or have it washed. Avoid tiresome schlepping and have space for the one perfect dress you see there. 3 Be inspired by Meike Winnemuth. Create or buy your own ‘one year dress’ or ‘minimal travel wardrobe’ and feel free, yet stylish all the way.

DOSSIER: Your Clothes

Action Plan

Your wardrobe check-up Do you spend too much time thinking about what to wear only to end up wearing the same outfit again and again? Take some time and allow yourself to come clear with your possessions and find out what you really need. Text Cerstin Henning

Further reading � Caroline Fox: Grown-up Glamour. This is not an ordinary style guide, it is full of witty, intelligent quotes and iconic pictures. Fifty-year-old Cox takes her readers seriously and offers fun, practical tips without being patronising, with interestingly historical and up-to-date background information. This is both an enjoyable read as well as an insightful and useful guide. Grown-up Glamour was published on 1 October 2010 by Quadrille Publishing Ltd. � Christine Schwab: The Grown-Up Girl’s Guide to Style: The Maintenance Bible for Fashion, Beauty and More. In her honest and empowering book, lifestyle and fashion reporter Schwab offers an open-minded approach to style, beauty, health, and well-being that will help every forty-plus woman achieve a classic look while maintaining her edge and personality. The Kindle edition will be out on 29 March 2011.

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

DOSSIER: Your Clothes

or some people, a closet is a scary place full of mysterious outfits we can’t really find, items that made sense in the shop but somehow lost it on their way into our wardrobe, and individual garments that end up unworn because we cannot find a matching partner. If your closet is such a scary place, take a weekend off to think about your style, who you are, what you like, and what you want your clothes to say about you. Go through the good, the bad and the ugly creatures that have taken over your wardrobe and make your closet a place that makes your style decisions easy and fun, every day. You need pen and paper, a couple of magazines or catalogues, storage boxes, and coat hangers.

Describe yourself

Write down the things you have worn over the last week and weekend and how you felt in them. Do you have a signature look, a standard outfit? Which garments do you like best and why? Do your clothes say what you want them to say? If you saw yourself for the first time and had to describe your style afterwards to someone else, what would you say? Do your clothes announce you or disguise you? Write down your thoughts and leave them alone for a while.

Is this the image you want to project?

How happy are you with your self description? Assess what you like and don’t like about it, what you would like to keep and what you would prefer to change. This has nothing to do with trends or other people’s expectations. It’s about how you want to present yourself. Whichever way you want this to be is good.

Your three style adjectives

Moodboard ‚Hollywood Glamour‘, by Caroline Shaw for FashionCapital.co.uk

Choose the three style adjectives that describe the style you have or would like to have best. Are you funky, romantic, eco-chic, minimalist, athletic, vintagy, sophisticated, colourful, sexy, tough, elegant? Whether your choice is comfortable, sporty and low-key or extravagant, flamboyant and feminine doesn’t matter, as long as this is what you want. Having identified your style will make it a lot easier to project the image you’re aiming at. This is not about limiting yourself but about focussing. It’s about who you are and who you want to be.

Have a look at your body type

Have a look at yourself in a full-length mirror and describe what you see. This is not about putting yourself down, look at yourself with loving eyes. What are your best features? The more you know about your body, the easier it will be to dress it well. If you cannot be gentle with yourself, get help. Ask a friend you trust or hire a professional stylist. The aim of this exercise is to bring out the best in you, an hour spent sighing about the size of your thighs will not get you there. Lying to yourself that an animal print catsuit will turn you into a sex kitten won’t either, so try to be honest. Write down what you like best.

Be inspired

Style has a lot to do with training the eye. Become fashion savvy by collecting images of women whose style you admire, clothes you like from magazines, and stills from movies. Use them to create your style vision on a bulletin board on the backside of your closet

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

door, put them up in a collage on your wall or glue them into a notebook. Remember to have fun with it, this doesn’t have to reflect your style in twenty years to come. Play with it, add pictures of yourself or swatches of fabric you like, check out interior magazines or ask women in the street you like if you can take their photo. Nothing is off limits so just follow your instincts. Let it develop over time. You don’t have to understand why you choose certain items, if you feel an immediate draw towards something, that is a good indicator that you truly like it.

Clean out your closet

Whether you want to do it alone or with your girl-friends, make sure you and your friends are as honest as possible about this, if you want to see a real difference. Try on everything you have in your wardrobe and sort it into piles: things to keep, things to sell / swap, things to give away to charity. What you haven’t sold or swapped within the next three months, give to charity, too. Next, tackle your drawers and shelves in the same way.

Sort, sort, sort

Now go through the ’things to keep’ pile once again and only keep things that meet all of the following criteria: • they actually fit - no use hanging on to skinny jeans that only make you feel miserable every time you see them, • they can be describe with one of your style adjectives and project the image you want, • they flatter your body shape and make you feel good when you wear them, • you have actually worn them in the last two years. All the rest needs to go. Store beloved pieces that might come back in style, special equipment like skiing jackets and a few(!) clothes you hang on to for sentimental reasons in separate boxes so that they don’t clutter your space. Be ruthless, even if it feels you’ll have nothing left to wear in the end. You will. And everything that is left will make you feel and look good.

Create your dream closet

Put everything that is now left in your ‘things to keep file’ back in, organised into categories - tops, dresses, trousers, coats and jackets. Sort the sections by colour. Finally, rejoice. Do this twice a year and facing your wardrobe will never be a scary issue again.

Invest carefully

Take a picture of your moodboard with you when you roam the shops next time. Keep your style adjectives at the back of your head. And only ever buy things you feel truly good in. Think 100%! By buying fewer things of better quality, garments that really fit and match your vision of yourself, you will make sure that you and your clothes speak the same language. But do take yourself out of your comfort zone once in a while, too. Experiment with cuts and colour. Dare to be noticed. You are noticeable! 

beof a part

red heart r o f

Dress up, dress down, bake, collect, run, paint... Everyone’s going Red for Heart for National Heart Month this February. And we’d love you to join in. Challenge your office to a wear red day or choose your own event - anything goes as long as it’s red!

Order your free fundraising kit at bhf.org.uk/red or call 0845 241 0976

Psychologies Magazine February 2011

36 Registered charity in England and Wales (225971) and in Scotland (SC039426)

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