Archetypes in my Closet

I have spent a considerable amount of time studying the role fashion plays in constructing one's identity. It began when I encountered a quote in Fashion Brands: Branding Style from Armani to Zara that said, "You don't buy clothes--you buy an identity." This statement ignited a plethora of questions: did I agree with this statement? How did I choose the clothing I bought? Was it simply a matter of aesthetic taste, or did each item hold a piece of my identity that I was trying to express?

I have also spent a considerable amount of time studying archetypes of women in literature, art, and film. They are simplistic character roles that are used consistently across time and across plot lines. There is the hero, the seductress/lover, the free spirit, the nurturer, the queen/boss, the damsel in distress, the rebel--and of course different forms of hybrids between these categories. In studying fashion branding and archetypal images in literature, I began to wonder: what clothing do women in each of these categories wear? Then I became self-reflexive: what archetypal category does my clothing choices put me in? 

I decided to use the Greek goddesses to explore this idea further. I decided to focus on the first generation of Greek goddesses--the daughters of Cronus. Hera is the queen archetype--she rules over Mount Olympus with Zeus. Demeter is a nurturer/free-spirit--she is the goddess of agriculture, and as a result, she is in touch with the Earth. Hestia is the nurturer--she is the goddess of the home. I searched through my closet. I realized that I am channeling my inner Hera whenever I rock a blazer and attend business meetings. My green flannel--which I wear during cold hikes and in the garden--reflects my more Demeter-esque characteristics. And though I never thought I would associate myself with the Hestia--I realized that I sport a kitchen apron every day while I'm making my meals. These archetypes are part of my identity, but my identity is multifaceted and therefore showcases a different archetype according to the circumstance.

So--as an exploration of my own feminine identity--I decided to make these articles of clothing fully indicative of the archetypal women that they represented. I decided I would use embroidery to depict these women--after all, it is a very "feminine" medium. Beyond that, I had never embroidered before, so creating the pieces was a lesson in a traditionally feminine skill. The act of creating these women was allowing me to fully understand a more "feminine" realm of talents, as well as recognize what feminine characteristics I represent in my fashion choices. Now, when I search through my closet, I will be confronting the feminine archetype that my clothing reflects, and I will make a conscience decision in choosing what female identity I will wear.

Close-Up of Hera

Close-Up of Demeter

Close-Up of Hestia