Fashion Speaks

 

                                                (image: youtube.com)

There was a time when we could not go out in public for an event unless our clothes were properly ironed. It even seemed almost scandalous to attend Mass or any social gathering wearing slippers. I remember my aunt telling my cousin, a clothes designer, to sew her a dress because she was going to Manila and would be riding a plane.

Looking back, these may seem like simple things, but they reflected a time when dressing appropriately was part of showing respect for the occasion, for others, and for oneself.

Then the internet opened our windows to the world and exposed us to other cultures. Brazilians brought Havaianas to us, while clever marketing helped turn slippers into fashionable footwear, even pairing them with dresses. Sneakers, too, allowed us to reinvent corporate attire by bringing a casual touch to suits. Eventually, beach culture became embedded in our everyday lives, as we began going to parties in clothes once reserved for the beach, or even in what we used to sleep in.

There is nothing wrong with expressing ourselves through what we wear, but context matters. When we walk into an interview wearing jeans and a tank top, with a phone tucked into the back pocket and dirty Chucks on our feet, we may be communicating something far different from what we intend.

“Our clothes masquerade as our identity. It is how we signal who we are,” a thought frequently echoed in conversations about fashion and self-expression. What we wear can speak before we do, revealing something about our personality, values, profession, or the image we wish to project. Clothing, therefore, is more than fabric and fashion. It is a visual language through which we introduce ourselves to the world. Yet, like any language, it can also be misunderstood.

Still, we must be careful not to define people by the quality, cost, or appearance of their clothes. Wealth does not always announce itself through designer labels or elaborate attire. Some affluent people deliberately choose simple and understated clothing, while others simply prefer what is comfortable and practical. What a person wears may tell us something about their preferences, but it can never tell us the whole story of who they are.

The recent controversy involving Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda and her son, Vice Governor Dennis Pineda, offers a telling example of how clothing can shape public perception. The two drew criticism after photos of them wearing luxury designer pieces circulated while they were inspecting flood-affected areas in the province. To some observers, the branded attire appeared disconnected from the hardship of families struggling with the flooding and was perceived as a display of privilege at a time when solidarity and sensitivity were expected. Governor Pineda later apologized for their choice of attire, calling the criticism a “wake-up call.” Malacañang likewise reminded public officials to be sensitive to the circumstances of people experiencing hardship.

In the end, clothes may tell a story, but they should never become the measure of a person’s worth. What matters is understanding that every setting carries a different expectation, and what we wear can either bridge the distance between us and others or quietly widen it. Fashion is personal, but context is social; and in moments when people are hurting, empathy should always be the best-dressed thing in the room.