The choice of festive attire, as well as everyday, always says something about us. What exactly? And how to decipher these messages?
“What will I wear to the party?” On the eve of the longest series of celebrations of the year – corporate, friendly or family – most women inevitably have to look for the answer to this question. What are the selection criteria?
Perhaps we are waiting for the brightest evening of this year! In search of inspiration, we open closets, scan boutique windows with our eyes, scroll through pictures from fashion shows … Any clothes – and festive, formal, even more so – always say something: choosing it, we choose an image – and at the same time convey unconscious message.
Carl Gustav Jung, the founder of analytical psychology, believed that every person is born with a “holistic personal blueprint”. The world around us only reveals what is already embedded in us. And in choosing clothes, the unconscious plays a major role – it acts for us.
Those who are engaged in the creation of such outfits at the highest professional level also embody themselves, their unconsciousness in the heroes of the new story. But not only. They catch sensations on the fly, intuition prompts, explore the space of imagination. And as a result of this complex unconscious work, a new figurative world is born, inhabited by characters that are unusual and at the same time very familiar to them and to us.
“Couturiers are always in touch with that limitless repository of universal knowledge and experience that we call the collective unconscious,” explains Jungian analyst Karol Sedillo. “Creating their models, they involuntarily embody archetypes, that is, images and themes of all world cultures: a princess, a hero, a divine child… Archetypes are universal, they carry both meanings and emotions, and therefore cannot leave us indifferent.”
What do those images in which we would like to appear before others say? We selected five striking models from this fall’s fashion shows and asked Jungian analyst Anna Skavitina to decipher their messages.
Queen
It expresses the idea of wealth, power, attachment to the material side of life. Dazzlingly bright, her type of femininity delights, fascinates or frightens. She reigns supreme and formidable – for those who are tempted to take her place.
Her world: gold, precious stones, silks, furs… In everything she demands the best.
Her message: to have is to have power, and vice versa. Success is measured by power over others. Femininity is a captivating, attractive appearance and at the same time an iron grip. The game of seduction, even in an implicit, hidden form, always comes from a position of strength.
If you like this look… A queen can be called a woman who is well aware of her desires and feelings, in harmony with herself, knows how to fulfill her desires without making excessive efforts. Would you like to be like this? The queen is a symbol of suffocating power. Are you satisfied with what you have? Are you abusing it? It is worth remembering: the more power is directed at others, the less it remains to rule over oneself.
Androgen
Black and white. A woman and a man. Yin and yang. This image came out of the archetype of duality: the opposites in it do not quarrel, but coexist. A rare sage will be able to determine which of the two principles will prevail. It’s an endless game, a delicate balance.
Her world: austere beauty. Here everything is reduced to the main thing: colors, cut of clothes, accessories – not a single detail distracts. However, severity does not interfere with frivolity, and masculine features do not interfere with the delicate manifestation of femininity.
Her message: I try to achieve harmony, I am created from strength and weakness, from light and shadow. To achieve unity, all of them must be recognized and accepted. And in order to find a balance point – to study and know the measure in them. Such is the price of inner peace.
If you like this look… Are you drawn to masculine strength or feminine softness? No matter how you answer, perhaps you should take care to restore the balance of internal forces: one of them seems to be “out of air.”
Fairy
She appears at the most key moment and removes evil forces, inspires confidence. The image of a good fairy is close (although not equivalent) to the archetype of the mother – both are called to help and comfort. The fairy is divine – she wastes her magical powers without a trace. She patronizes love. But in all fairy tales she herself, without a companion, is a spouse. Bringing love to others, she cannot conjure it for herself.
her world arises where the images of Tim Burton and Walt Disney meet. Delicacy of imagination and tenderness.
Her message: follow your lucky star, do not give up in adversity. Full of attention to others, she embodies a soft, soothing femininity, the charm of childhood.
If you like this look… Are you playing the role of a good fairy for your loved ones? Or, on the contrary, are you looking for such a sorceress yourself? In both cases, your choice indicates that you need warmth and spiritual support. Or maybe that it is not easy for you to accept the erotic part of the game of seduction.
Traveler
Survive the adventure, conquer the unknown – these are its driving forces. Open to other people and thirsting for something new, she is a pioneer, driven by the desire to risk a lot, but more often just to get away from the monotony of everyday life. She moves forward, but cannot stop for long at any point, because the real goal of her search is herself.
Her world: she looks for herself on the road, on trains and legendary ships like the Orient Express or the Titanic. Following her hedonistic nature, she lives in a world where handicraft and noble materials guarantee luxury and comfort. She is ready for adventure – but still not at any cost.
Her message: to dare means to start living life to the fullest. Decide to discover something, give up your habits, rejecting boredom. The image of a traveler calls for courage, but also for prudence, too. The reverse side of it is negligence, extravagance, impulsive actions.
If you like this look… Do you feel the need to end your routine? Are you ready for a different lifestyle? In any case, the craving for the new and the unexpected prevails in you. You need air and space not only around you, but also inside.
Warrior
Admiration and fear – such is the bewitching effect that this image produces on men and women. She feels free in confrontation and in danger. She is energetic, adamant and merciless, and her self-control is such that it inspires timidity.
Her world: night, frightening shadows in the forests or in the urban jungle. In foreign territory, she does not lose her determination or calmness. She seduces with her elegant coldness. Her favorite materials – leather, steel, fur – emphasize her dangerous aura.
Her message: warning is better than fighting. Her sympathy is selective, and seduction always takes the form of a challenge.
If you like this look… Are you jealous of her ability to control her feelings? Or, like her, do you find it difficult to control your aggression? This image invites you to think about how you manage your emotions, whether you can sometimes loosen control and open up to another person.