Shed Yourself

Written by: Alia Barker

Creative Director: Ellie McCleary

Shot by: Molly Pritchett

Styled by: Ellie McCleary

Modeled by: Taylor Tipton and Izzy Hill

Change can feel big, small, and frighteningly unpredictable. Change has the capacity to shift our perspectives throughout our life and place us on the path to new beginnings. It’s unlikely that a person remains the same as they transition into a new phase of life. The levels of ourselves often run deep; our beliefs, cultural backgrounds, sexualities, and values are all components that make up our personal layers. Our identities are formed out of these intricate, unique layers, and change often pushes us to reimagine what our personal layers may look like. New layers form on top of old ones as our identity expands. We can shed these layers through new growth and personal exploration. 

Transitioning into a new phase of life may feel intimidating and confusing– change is often accompanied by big, wild emotions–but the way that we each navigate change tells a unique story. Each person may process new experiences in different ways. The layers that we shed may never truly be gone; our layers can simply become a new facet of ourselves that already existed. Going from high school to college is an example of change that many young adults experience. College comes with new surroundings, responsibilities, and social environments. Stepping into new phases of life can feel incredibly overwhelming…but the exciting part is that this process can also feel liberating.

Fashion serves as a visual representation of change, so this means that clothes can serve as physical manifestations of the layers within ourselves. Distressed fabrics represent the unpredictability of change and growth; some parts of ourselves remain, while other layers start to form. Distressed fabric showcases the uncertainty and rigidity that come with change. The non-uniform quality of distressed fabric shows the fluidity that comes with the process of growth. Distressed clothing can be recycled from old clothing that already exists. This kind of clothing serves as a physical and visual representation of how change doesn’t require total reinvention. 

Identity is a special, delicate thing. Identity is ever-changing, based on the people and places we encounter, and embracing change can allow for beautiful, new growth for your identity. Sometimes change happens slowly. A person may not even be conscious of the transitional period that they are experiencing. Other times, change is rapid. Life is not always straightforward, so why not embrace the winding path you’re given? Either way, each layer that we shed of ourselves inspires something new and guides us to the path of genuine self discovery. 

Poem:

Something lingers,

beyond what I can see.

A phase of change.

Waves that follow,

flow

drift

part

from me.

I’ve been told that

distance

creates

Transformation.

A way to start anew.

I try to decipher

layer

by

layer.

I pray

that this is the right

thing to do.

It’s hard not to cling

and hold on

to what I understand.

But now, 

I feel so close to myself.

Magnified

and so near.

As I shed each layer,

slowly, I now know,

These layers were a part of me

that simply needed to grow.