How dressing fashionably can motivate us
It’s coming to that time of year again… the Holiday season - the happiest time to celebrate.
Shopping for sparkly frocks to wear at that long-awaited party and Michael Bublé’s Christmas album is played everywhere, making spirits bright.
But most admiring of all, is the delicious food, such as those yummy mince pies and the advent calendar chocolate, to munch inside your mouth and pile on the pounds.
The holiday season gives everyone a long end of the year break, to be gluttonous and free spirited, as they please. So, why feel guilty when it is the season to be jolly?
After all, the world has gone through a major pandemic and some social events will still be halted.
Despite the changes the world has been through, enjoying the quality time of minimal capacity will replace the need to be active, when you can be comfortable in your own home.
Once the world enters January, the real problem occurs, when everyone, not just the middle-aged woman we seem to compromise, realises how much weight they have put on over the season and now can’t even squeeze into their new Levi's Jeans, Santa gave them.
Yet, what makes matters worse, is the retail industry soon displays mannequins wearing grey and dull looking gym wear in their stores.
The dark colours of the clothing, tend to represent the moodiness of body change. When everyone starts to buy the boring toned gym wear, some feel as if they are dressing like a prisoner - feeling they must now take responsibility for being slightly too greedy, which can come across as hard body shaming. Yet, the irony that comes with this, is the models included in the adverts, are evenly slim build. Making their targeted audience question if they are being demeaned, instead of focused on.
Despite all the hassle, some fashion stylists, who have also wanted to shed the unwanted weight, find positive outlooks to bring fashion to a new level, by motivating everyone to dress more certified than plain. So, the real question lies, is if a fashionable gym outfit can it motivate anyone to work it out?
This movement is purposely to support anyone, who wants to make changes to their lifestyle and lead a healthier physique. Because in previous times, flashy gym wear was only targeted for inspiring athletes and models, but this is so last season. Brands including Fabletics and Gymshark, have ranges of gym wear, targeted to every body shape, in which embraces such an empowering message.
Instead of the concern some may feel, of losing weight in a coerced manner for other’s appreciation, fashion can motivate someone to embrace their body image and wellbeing, because they are able to celebrate their own exercise, but while enjoying themselves.
Exercising has been scientifically proven not to just benefit someone’s physical health, but their mental too. The number of endorphins released after a morning run or a yoga session, lower stress levels, which attract more motivation to continue exercising. But what makes is certainly more fulfilling, is flexing your moves, while wearing a matching light pink co-ord or glowing in the far distance in a neon tank top during a bouncy jog.
Fashion has proven that if you dress good, you feel good. If you feel good, you are motivated. Motivated to make changes to your life, either big or small, simple, or major. Despite what this motivation makes anyone feel, people learn to understand their values. Values of truly recognising their potential and achieving something, they thought was not possible, such as becoming more athletic, without the stereotypical body of an athlete.
Fabletics have been one of the brands, that have campaigned heavily on body positivity. Their advertisements have included many women of all shapes and sizes, working out at the same level and speed as one another.
Customers have also posted their workouts on Instagram, while wearing their Fabletics, while engaging in very normal everyday activates such as cooking, walking the dog, and practicing yoga in their back gardens and therefore making it more appealing to everyone, that exercise and general health habits can happen anywhere, at any time.
Celebrities such as Demi Lovato, have also contributed to the body image pride of the brand. The singer herself has been featured in Fabletics campaigns, and she has publicly discussed about her own struggles with body image.
Nevertheless, dressing fashionable really can motivate someone to work out to the best of their ability, no matter their size or diet.
Yet, even if we may be attempted to treat ourselves to a cheeky feast of our favourite snacks, we can still embrace our happiness, in whatever we do…because we all can.