Let’s start this out with a disclaimer, yes I work for Cladwell and yes, working for Cladwell is so much more than a job for me. It’s about helping others combat the lies we’ve all been told by the fashion industry and the ones that I inherently absorbed growing up.
For me personally, this showed up in a very apparent, very tangible, very real way, a cluttered wardrobe filled to the brim — 450 clothing items to be exact — and a whole lot of self-image doubt that I began to overcome when I started letting an app dress me every day.
Clothing is a visual representation of who we are but we’ve been lied to by the fashion industry. The lie is that we are not okay with what we have and that we need to buy things to become whole.
These lies were created by companies to create a cycle of fashion trends that get us to buy more & more of their goods.
But what if we could break free from this cycle?
Blake Smith, CEO of Cladwell, shares a story about his daughter Charleston Jane. But here’s the thing — her story is my story and who knows, maybe it’s your story too.
The difference…
Charleston has a shot at growing up in a world where she knows how to read between the lines of these lies mentioned in her dad’s most recent TEDx talk.
I didn’t.
She also might… just might… be okay with wearing the clothes she actually loves and overtime will develop her own personal taste and choices in her style.
I wasn’t.
Don’t get me wrong, I figured it out… just a little later than one would have liked. But I did figure it out and you can too.
For those who’ve never heard Blake’s story or are hearing it for the first time this could be that aha moment! The moment you realize you have a boat load of clothes yet you’re not any closer to figuring out what you like or what your style is.
And for those Charleston Jane’s of the world, the ones that can still can get by jumping on the bed. If this message can get to enough people to have a real impact on her, her friends, and her generation. Well then… this is the hope.
Originally published at medium.com