This is going to be a bit of a different approach to my blog posts, as I'm a bit bothered by something and what better forum to express that than The Huffington Post!
Lately I have seen several people wearing a t-shirt that says, "You Can't Sit With Us."
Is this supposed to be funny? Cool? Fashion? I remember when I was 12 years old and my ex-bffs said these exact words to me. It made me feel like shit. It made me feel small, unworthy, sad, lonely and like there was something wrong with me. Seeing this shirt makes me remember this scenario so vividly.
I'm wondering if the designer of these shirts is actually trying to make people feel like this? Are they designing unconsciously? I wonder if the designer of this shirt has kids; surely if someone was saying this to the designer's son or daughter during lunch they would think differently about what they are doing to sell a $30 shirt.
I've been a publicist in the fashion industry for nearly 15 years. I have only come to wake up a few years ago and I know now, more than ever before, that I have a VOICE and I plan to use it!
There is a famous store here in L.A. selling shirts that say, "Team Xanax," and, "Team Adderall." First off, I'm saddened that a clothing manufacturer would make something like this and would glamourize the use of prescription drugs.
I can't be a complete hypocrite here, as I was on "Team Adderall" at one point in my life. I loved Adderall. Loved it so much that I would take multiple Adderalls a day. And that's where "Team Xanax" would come in -- to help me sleep. The Adderall made me feel confident. It enabled me to work an abnormal amount and go out all night, every night -- something most of us in the industry do at one point or another.
It's amazing that instead of just listening to my body say, "Stay in tonight Elissa -- you're tired," I would just hop on Team Adderall and go out. It's amazing how, for years, instead of looking at the underlying reason for why I wasn't feeling confident, I would just take a pill and everything was fine. I live my life very differently now. I almost don't even know who that girl was.
My little cousin passed away last summer from a drug overdose. Needless to say, I will not be buying one of these shirts that are considered "fashion."
We have a responsibility as publicists, journalists, fashion designers. Promote things that matter. Write about things that will make someone else feel good. Create and design something beautiful.
Wake up! Think about what you are making, creating, designing, selling, wearing.
Thoughts, words, statements: They are energy. Living, breathing, circulating energy. Choose your energy, your words, your statements wisely and consciously. We all have so much power! Think about how you are going to use it.
Be the change.
Hoping to make a difference,
Elissa