DressedbyDuvale here,

Do you ever wonder how things affect your mental health? How the little things weigh on your heart. Those little things turn into anxiety, then depression, and then you realize your body starts rejecting anything good and your body is aching for survival. Do you ever wonder what that is? Or how to make it through that if you are ever in that phase of your life.

I know this is a little bit different than what I usually write on here. But right now, I think it’s the only thing in my mind that I have to say.

The fashion world is a world where people are constantly looking up to the standards of others because of their influence. Same thing in the real world, that moment where you are undressing to put on another outfit that single moment where you are undressed or naked is the moment where we are most available. Everyone is looking at you, arms tugging at you, yelling at you to put something on. And then when you put those clothes on you feel seen again, you feel protected again. Fashion is an armor for a lot of people, me included. It’s the moment I feel most understood, it’s the moment I feel like all the thoughts that are flooding in my head come out and the canvas is no longer blank anymore.

I want to be candid with you all, the fashion world can smooth you out or leave you jagged. But fashion in itself is a spectrum waiting for every color of itself to be explored. So, why not explore it? I started DressedbyDuvale to further explore that part of myself, to give my passion an outlet, to make thoughts in my head make sense. I forgot that.

“Fashion vs mental health” written like they are enemies, but one can benefit the other. At least in my case. Fashion is what makes me happy. I think the reason why I love fashion so much is that the thoughts in my head are like puzzle pieces. Piecing together an outfit, gives me that ability to piece those puzzle pieces together. Every piece of clothing comes together on a naked body, and it just fits. Fashion is how everyone expresses themselves, either consciously or subconsciously. What you put on each day is the same thing as waking up in the morning and deciding how you are going to lead your day.

So, fashion and mental health are intertwined, and you might not even know it. You might not even understand this blog post. And that’s okay. Life is like a naked manikin, and you put something on it, and you piece together that outfit until you are proud and happy with your result.