I Wish We Could Wear Robes

I have always been a proponent of robes. Everyone who knows me knows this. And I'm here to make the case that we should all be wearing them.

We live in an amazing moment for fashion. You can dress like a club kid and no one bats an eye. You can dress like you stepped out of the Victorian era and no one bats an eye. When I moved to LA, I felt safe and happy for the first time, because I could wear whatever I wanted. Everywhere else I'd lived, I got socially roasted for the smallest faux pas, like wearing leg warmers.

But being allowed to dress however you want isn't the same as feeling secure doing it. Most of us still pick the safe outfit. So how does the unsafe outfit ever become normal?

What happened in Santa Cruz

I recently went to a spiritual convention in Santa Cruz where everyone was wearing robes and headpieces. It was heaven.

What fascinated me was how fast people changed. On day one, everyone had their opinions. By day two, they were loosening up. People who'd been hesitant started saying, "Maybe I could wear a head crown."

Then one of my friends walked in carrying giant staffs he'd made himself: beautiful crystal staffs with copper running down to the ground. Everybody wanted one. And I really believe that if he'd brought them on day one, people wouldn't have reacted the same way. Day two, the room was ready.

It only takes a few people

Here's the secret to every aesthetic shift: if you do it alone, you're a freak. If you get a few friends to do it with you, you're not a freak anymore. You're just cool.

That's how it always works. A small group shares an understanding that we can wear robes, we can carry wizard staffs, we can put magical crystals on our third eyes. Then the people around them start to feel permission. Someone in my chat suggested Burning Man as proof, and they're right: give people a safe space to express themselves, and wild creativity becomes the norm.

Aesthetics are part of the social contract, and contracts can be rewritten. You don't need everyone. You need a few brave people and a little time.

Dress for your highest self

In 2020, I was one of the people who swore I'd never wear pants again. I moved my whole wardrobe toward comfort, but I made it aesthetic too. Because aesthetics matter. What we wear tells the world, and ourselves, who we think we are.

So why not wear what reflects your highest self? Why not dress for the most hopeful future you can imagine? If that future has robes and crowns and crystal staffs in it, and I really hope it does, then someone has to wear them first.

I'm volunteering. Who's coming with me?