Is fashion work? - YouLookFab Forum

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Is fashion work?

Joan Joplin

I tend to spend a great deal of time thinking about fashion in one form or another. Outfits I could create, items I should purchase, shoes and tops and purses, denim and leather and lace. There's also frequent musing on the more philosophical side of fashion - body image and fashion, feminism and fashion, what words like "beauty" and "flattering" mean to me, and how that differs from my peers and from society at large. All in all, I spend a massive amount of time thinking about some aspect of fashion. It's my hobby. I like it.
On the other hand, I have friends with zero interest in fashion. Musing about clothes in the complex, detailed, specific way I do would be torture to them. And caring about what they wear in the same way I do would take a ton of effort.
Now over to you. Is fashion hard? Does it take a lot of your energy to think about? Is it easy because you have an instinct for it? Or is it something you love to spend energy in, because it's a hobby, and thus isn't an energy drain or a chore? Or something I haven't thought of? I'm assuming most of you enjoy spending energy on fashion, since this is a fashion forum, but maybe I'm wrong. How much of a chore is it for you?

General

22 replies

Latest reply was from cbayna

Kristin L

Veteran

It's not exactly "easy" for me, but I find it enjoyable. For me, it's a creative outlet. It's a way for me to express myself without saying a word.

Anonymous

Ditto what you said JoanJoplin. I spend hours reading blogs, look at lists, rules, how to dres my body, the in colours, etc, etc. I think it my only hobby too. However, I don't think my style is improving lol. But I don't consider it work, I do enjoy it. Kind of a rambling answer

Suz

(website)

Veteran

What a fabulous question.

For me, it's enormous fun. It's not a chore or a bore. It's an energy booster! And it can also be relaxing to play in the closet.

Really, as a hobby, it has it all. The excitement of the new, the thrill of the hunt, the satisfaction of the great buy, the aesthetic appeal of gorgeous textures and colours, the intellectual challenge of working through its meaning, both for me, personally, and throughout time and within various cultures, the frisson of gossip about designers and shows, and in places like YLF -- and sometimes also in real life -- the lasting value of friendships formed through shared delight.

This doesn't mean it isn't also hard. It is. I don't instinctively "get" how to look great, I have to pay attention and learn from mistakes (which can be embarrassing or expensive or both) and I used to get a pain in the head trying to figure out my style persona. Now that I have a clearer sense of what I'm trying to achieve, the happiness quotient is way higher.

Day Vies

Veteran

Excellent question -- I can't wait to see more responses.

Fashion not hard but it does, for me, require thinking. The easy part for me are the colors. The part I struggle with is patterns, proportions, and translating looks to flatter my body. So I guess it's a labor of love. Like Suz this is a hobby.

Sometimes, the thinking feels a little obsessive. However, I am always pleased with the result (when I have put in the work). I also look at this labor of love as the part of my day solely for my benefit and enjoyment. It's the piece of my mind that's for me and about me that isn't in service to anyone else -- it's mine.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

DV, I love what you just said there -- as women we are so often doing things in service of others and it is great to do something that we want.

Anonymous

I love what Suz and DV wrote. It's a hobby that is a creative outlet and relaxes but also is stimulating. I suppose the same could be said of cooking, playing bridge, sports...for some it is a delight and others it's a chore. I do have to find a balance as to how much time I can spend on it and would like to spenders time in my closet editing and creating outfits. At the end of the day, if I can't get to sleep, I try to plan outfits for a week. It calms whatever was on my mind and I can sleep.

ManidipaM

Veteran

With Suz and Day Vies on this one.

I used to enjoy fashion until working in a supposedly high-fashion environment rocked my confidence in my taste. And I started dressing to disappear. Hugely counterproductive and depressing. Then budget put the closet on ice for a good bit while it was already in a dicey place.

Trying to make the best of what I had brought me to YLF. And I was so happy to indulge in the fun again, minus the judgement.

ironkurtin

Veteran

I tend to think a lot about things that interest me. Fashion is one of those things.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Definitely a time consuming hobby, from which I get lots of enjoyment.

nancylee

Veteran

What Shevia said.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

This may sound pretentious but I feel that there are many ways of deepening our self-knowledge. Fashion (or more accurately for me style) & how it relates to my life & personality is one of the many ways I can find out more about myself & others. It is something I have always enjoyed. I find it energising & uplifting most of the time

Gaylene

Veteran

Exactly what Caro said (Thank you, Caro, for so perfectly articulating my thoughts!)

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Only fair to return the favour Gaylene

Lyn D.

Veteran

It is work in that it requires time, thought and action, but a hobby in that it is fun, mind occupying and (can be) expensive
I also spend a lot of time thinking about fashion! Love lying in bed with nothing else to do but count the number of tops verses pants verses dresses etc. in my closet, and possible wardrobe holes.............. ;o

Jeanie

Veteran

Mostly fashion is a hobby inspired by my love of art and anything woven. I love to see a piece of fabric turned into a fabulous dress..... the process, the techniques, the end result, the beauty! It's fun to help others edit their wardrobes and often people ask me to sort out their closets. I seem to do better helping others than I do with my own wardrobe. My eye can tell what looks good one someone else easier than what is right for me. Finding clothes for me is work (for example) looking for a shirt in the right color and length and fabric that will go with an existing skirt takes time and can quickly send me right back into my yoga clothes!

Thanks for the topic and everyones interesting responses.

VernieJane

I think fashion is certainly a form of work. It is an effort we make to survive or excel in our social environment. It is a superficial image of our outside self that we want to show others. It is completely unnecessary in my opinion.

That said, fashion can be fun, and make us feel good. I prefer to be able to dress very comfortable most of the time, but I know deep down that I am still thinking about fashion. I have been conditioned to do so, we all have!

Molly L-R

I love thinking about clothes. Clothes, food and music are my three favourite things to think about It's a form of creative expression that I lost for a while and am now starting to get back. I enjoy being in bed, in that place between being awake and falling asleep and just letting ideas for colour and pattern combinations dance through my mind.

But fashion can be work. I find it most hard work when I try to overhaul my entire wardrobe at once, or start to feel frustrated because I can't afford to buy everything all at once. The realisation I'm slowly coming to is that style is a journey, not a destination. Most likely I will never come to one, definitive look, nor will my wardrobe ever be truly "finished". My style is likely to keep on evolving from now until the day I die. At least, I hope it does.

Mona

Veteran

For me it is like a hobby and tons of fun. But I also struggle a lot with finding time for it.

Anonymous

To me, it's definitely time consuming. If you want to dress nicely, you have to spend a lot of time looking to find the perfect items. Just this past weekend, my family and I killed some time in a mall in Missouri; we had nothing else to do, so why not shop lol? Anyhoo, we found absolutely nothing. I seriously don't know how malls manage to stay in business, to tell you the truth. None of the stores sell things that any stylish woman or girl would want to wear. All I could think was thank God for online shopping. If I had to buy all my clothes and accessories at the mall, I'd have to look frumpy.

I personally don't mind browing online, but I truly wish the brick-and-mortar stores were better. I've been to the mall 3 weekends in a row (first 2 trips were here in Georgia where we live), and it's the SOS everywhere I go.

milehighstyle (Linda)

Veteran

I do spend a lot of time putting outfits together and browsing blogs and magazines for ideas and inspiration. I think I have pretty good instincts for the most part, but at times it is hard to make a piece or an outfit work. I don't think of it as a chore, though - I love the process, the evolving styles, the way that we can be individuals and not have to wear everything the same way everyone else does. Like others, I'd describe it as a hobby, something that's a pleasure to spend time on.

Jules

Veteran

It started out as a chore, became fun, and now has become a bit too much of a time suck and a stressor (getting anxious that I might miss some sale or something). It's gotten to the point where I am using it to distract myself from stuff that should be more important, but is also more difficult and less under my control.
And so... off to work

cbayna

It is not work if you find joy and self fulfillment in anything you do. I agree it takes a lot of time and effort to be fashionable but at the end of the day you feel happy about yourself.