Is Fashion the Cure for Seasonal Depression?

By Sola Onitiri

In the words of Charles Gross “Let’s Talk About It”

I had a really great conversation the other day with my good friend (and pop culture commentary icon) Camille from Positive Publicity for her podcast Why Don't You Cry About It?

It was all about the current fashion scene, our favorite fashion Tiktoker, and the miraculous twee and Y2K comeback. The conversation bounces back and forth between every topic - The Sex & The City reboot, how all Gucci isn’t good Gucci - under the fashion sun but landed in a really interesting place. We talked about how dressing up makes us feel incredible now.

I even went so far as to say that dressing up can cure seasonal depression. It’s a wild theory that’s been kicking around in my brain for a while, so indulge me. I would also like to mention that seasonal depression is a serious mental health issue and in no way am I diminishing it.

The Rise (And Fall) of My Fashion Sense

Camille and I met each other when I was just a young whipper snapper on the streets of Philly and New York, obsessed with capturing good style, celebrities, and the early stages of what we now know as influencers at New York Fashion Week.

Obviously, I’m on a different path now and have done a dozen things since. But when those Vogue sized dreams dimmed, so did my passion for (please, bear with me) fashion.

By the time I was a fully cemented, card holding, member of the restaurant industry. The bright colors, mix matched prints, and statement earrings began collecting dust in my closet.

First came the all black outfits, followed by the dark jeans and flannels, until it parked very neatly at beer branded T-shirts and loose mom jeans for the better part of two years.

The impact of this transformation didn’t hit me until I started my holistic self-care journey.

It took a great deal of honesty to admit that me - someone who used to do the Carrie Bradshaw walk down the streets of Philly in an equally ridiculous outfit - had become frumpy.

And my overall frumpiness was connected to many things (Peep the YouTube channel for details on that) But one of them was denying myself of the joys of fashion.

Part of the way I used to care for myself was centered around a considerable amount of joyful primping. And when I stopped, part of my happiness, confidence, and general vigor for life stopped too.

What A difference a Year Makes

So, I did something about it. Hell, I do something about it every day. Despite working from home now. I’ve made getting dressed and putting on a little make up part of my holistic self-care morning routine. And if I have to go out and get groceries…sheesh I’m DRESSED mama.

And no, not because I’m afraid of the world seeing me make up free and dressed down. I do it because it makes me feel whole. Scratch that. Better than whole. It makes me feel full and delicious. Putting together a fire outfit makes me feel confident and blessed and that combination is unbeatable.

Its unbeatable because I show up in the world more confident, and the world responds.

Let’s Get Real

Seasonal depression is a complex mental health issue. As someone who suffers from it, allow me to be the first to keep it real with you. It leaves you stuck in your bed, phone in hand, with no desire to move until you get hungry. And that’s on a good day.

Depression makes you unmotivated and sometimes even hate the very things that will make you feel better. Things like taking a walk, seeing friends, cleaning your room, and yes even dressing nicely.

While fashion may not be a cure all, maybe it’s the one thing you can do today that makes you feel better. And that’s worth something. X