Connected Clothing.
Photo by Katarzyna Grabowska
How might active reconnections with our earlier lives and clothes serve to enhance our cognitive health and further understandings of ‘eudaemonic fashion?’
Scientific studies of the human mind continue to reveal how our own histories, memories and thoughts can actively shape our future selves.
Psychologist Ellen Langer from Harvard University, conducted a very interesting social experiment in 1979 involving a participant group between the ages of 70 and 80. In a monastery, Ellen replicated a historically accurate living environment from precisely 1959, including authentic décor, clothing, books, magazines, food, television and music. Here, the group was requested to live and act as if it really was 1959.
As part of the exercise, participants were to keep a journal of their time, as well as take part in regular group discussions with researchers, including their own recollections of the 1950’s. After the project, 66% of the participants recorded significantly enhanced improvement to their cognitive condition, and overall state of wellbeing.
Interestingly, they also reported a renewed connection with their period clothing, leading them to not only take greater care of their appearance but also taking greater care of the clothing itself.
What if a developing field of fashion research could provide dedicated eudaemonic dressing-up environments, spaces, or holidays even? Here, we could conduct similar historical re-enactments of our previous lives (or those of others) in order to cultivate psychological enhancement?
In part, this attitude is reflected and recognized by those who routinely engage, wear or collect vintage clothing. Pre-owned garments and accessories can be perceived as being culturally charged with narratives that inform and nourish devotees and audiences.
So, if our minds and wardrobes are variable and malleable, and benefit from activity and conditioning, can we develop dressing up exercises, games, and scenarios, in much the same way that we stage and experience sports events - the Olympics, for example?
