IT’S NOT THE WEATHER, IT’S YOU: STYLE CHALLENGES IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGES

As is the case with most of the main industries in the world right now, fashion tends to follow what the global north dictates. Fashion calendar revolved around seasons as they come in the northern hemisphere, and all global fashion capitals (both traditional and emerging) are on that side of Earth: New York, London, Milan, Paris, Tokyo, Seoul, Copenhagen. It is just natural that a good portion of the industry follows the guidelines of what’s going on in those places, but that doesn't mean they’re the only ones to exist, nor that they have the last say when it comes to style.

There is a sort of consensus, between both industry professionals and fashion enthusiasts, that indicates that the best season style-wise is autumn-winter because of what’s usually worn then: long coats, boots, dark hues. Undoubtedly, winter tones and garments as mentioned above are fitting for pretty much everyone. Some have even gone as far as to say that “summer is for people who can’t dress”, alluding to an idea that only the colder months of the year allow for good styling.

K-pop sensation and Louis Vuitton global ambassador Lisa wearing a custom dress by Thai brand Pipatchara.

Said opinion, is, to me, not only very biased, but also willfully ignorant of contexts and situations that can no longer be ignored. Firstly, and despite all negationist positions on the subject, global warming has changed weather so much that, seasons as we know them now, might very well disappear. At this point of the issue, there is no other choice but to adapt, and this includes have a wardrobe ready for anything, not only for what we would ideally wear. Unfortunately for some, there is a high chance that future autumn-winter collections will no longer be what they used to, and this is just a consequence of a much larger problem beyond deciding our outfits every day: that the entire planet’s wellbeing is at risk because of a situation that fashion industry has largely contributed to.

Members of the sapeur style subculture in Brazzaville, Congo.

Secondly, to state that there is only one right way to “be stylish” and “dress well” that depends solely on weather is, at the very least, quite short sighted. There are as many aesthetics as personal preferences in this world. Of course, there are basic styling guidelines to make an outfit look good and polished, but these have more to do with proportions, color theory, with every particular occasion and with adapting clothes to every person’s figure than with the “superiority” of a particular weather over others. Just like everyone else, I have my personal favorites and also my list of dislikes, but that doesn’t mean that they are rules that others should follow.

Wouldn’t fashion be terribly boring if we all looked the same?

Thirdly, thinking that you can only dress well when it’s cold is to discard entire industries and cultures just because they do not adhere to Eurocentric standards that indicated that anything that comes from that region is automatically better, without even questioning such thoughts. The textile and aesthetic riches of the literal rest of the world does not deserve to be overlooked, and cases such as the Congolese sapeurs, the death metal cowboys of Botswana and incredibly luxurious and sophisticated South East Asian brands like Issue and Pipatchara are just a few of many examples that prove that neither high temperatures nor tropical environments are an obstacle for those who want to be creative and express themselves through their styles choices.

Botswana's death metal cowboys.

Lastly, it is wise to not project one’s own circumstances over others, even if that isn’t an easy task. If someone thinks that only certain weather conditions, situations, designers and styles are acceptable in the construction of a good personal styles, it is very likely that it’s a personal limitation of said individual, and not a problem that everyone has. Personally, I like to experiment with different colors, garments and brands, and I find it quite boring to restrict myself to only one way to see fashion. It is a challenge for me to be able to dress myself in a variety of ways that always match my personal style, it is satisfying for me to achieve this goal, and if others don’t want to do the same this, that is perfectly okay. This isn’t a strong reason to underestimate or mock people who don’t want to do the exact same thing as I do, which seems to be difficult to avoid for some of the self-proclaimed “style icons”.

Les Jardins Enchantés de Thai, Thai brand Issue's 2024 spring-summer collection.

There are as many ways to interpret fashion as there are people on this planet, but if the current weather is an impediment for you to look the way you prefer and convey the message you want with your style, it might be a skill or creativity issue, rather than the atmospheric conditions. If that’s the case, the season is not the problem, but it is very likely that it is you.