The freedom to choose what to wear : essay

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​​​​​​​​We have the freedom to choose what we wear. Through clothing, we can experiment with different identities—what begins as simple imitation can gradually lead us to a new version of ourselves. This process is, in many ways, a constant journey towards becoming a more authentic self. ​​​​​​​​

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​​​​​​Wolfgang Tillmans has emphasized that,

as he was growing up in the 1980s, clothing was an important way to express political messages and personal identity. He said,

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“The way you dress, your makeup, and even anti-weapons campaigns were all ways to show meaningful attitudes and opinions,”

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pointing out that clothes go beyond style and can communicate political and social messages. It’s a call to take control—not just of what we wear, but of who we want to become. This isn’t just fashion advice. It’s a strong message about taking charge of who you want to be. Choosing something also means not choosing something else. The small choices we make each day build up. They help us lead our own lives, rather than just going along with what others think. Just because I work in fashion doesn’t mean I want to glorify the value of clothing itself. I prefer to approach it from a more democratic perspective. These days, consumers engage with fashion more abstractly. They're drawn not just to function or form, but to the imagery behind a design—the creative director’s taste, or the origin of their inspiration. This leads me to ask: Is fashion, in essence, a means of producing culture?

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The way consumers now read and respond to the codes embedded in brands is a relatively new phenomenon. And because ideas we take for granted today may be challenged tomorrow, we must stay alert to what’s unfolding around us. What we choose to create and curate always remains a question. If we hope to foster better, more conscious consumption, we must carry this question with us as a responsibility. When a fashion brand conveys a message—be it intellectual, social, or political—it inevitably creates a dialogue between the brand and the consumer. And when we wear clothes, we also wear the values they express.

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