We often think of our clothes as things, as possessions separate from ourselves when in reality, they act as a second skin. 🪖
Your personal style can help you befriend your body and manage your moods, meaning that your choice of outfit can have a profound effect on how you feel. So, to celebrate the power of clothing to help you lean into who you truly are the FiP team have decided to relaunch our series (love to you if you remember this from a few years back now!) called My Second Skin where we’ll be speaking to people from all walks of life about the role that their wardrobe plays in their everyday life. 💄
Charlotte Hayes
This time, we spoke to Charlotte Hayes aka Strawberry Monoxide.
How do your clothes make you feel?
My clothes make me feel excited. A good outfit plan gets me up better than a morning cup of coffee. I have so many pieces in my collection with history. I’m a very sentimental person, each of my pieces have a memory attached to them. They’re my passion and my hobby.
What is your most treasured item that brings you joy?
Probably my vintage cat jacket. I have a lot of favourites but I’m not usually too precious about them. There’s just something really special to me about the kitten jacket, I seldom wear her because I feel like she’s much safer in my wardrobe. However, when I do take her for a spin, I always get plenty of compliments! It’s just too cute. Who can resist kittens?
Do you believe your clothes define you in any way?
For me personally, I believe my clothes define me. That’s intentional, it’s the way I choose to navigate fashion. I like to be an open book, vulnerability is a strength. I pick my outfit based on how I feel, what I’m watching, the music I’m listening to. I like to tell a story, to be heard and be seen. I think most peoples choices can be analysed in a similar way, if they’re not dressing for who they are, who are they trying to be? Lots of people believe they’re not even thinking so much about those choices, but it can be subconscious. It can be practical, comfortable, simple, cosy and it can still give you a preview into the kind of person somebody is. That said, I don’t like to make too many assessments based on someone’s appearance. People are full of surprises.
Has social media changed your relationship with your clothes?
Social media has definitely given me a scope into a world of fashion I wouldn’t have known from my small town. I have found my fashion muses through Instagram and TikTok. When I was a kid, I always felt different. I didn’t like the clothes my mum put me in or anything my friends were wearing. I started playing the game “Stardoll,” it was a paper-doll fashion game. It gave me a space as a child to explore my identity, to try things I couldn’t try in person. It’ll always be a way for me to feel inspired and to feast on the thing my soul was craving. I don’t think I’d have passed many people in my day to day life who scratched that itch for me.
