views from around the universe on fashion, clothing and more

The art of covering the body is an intriguing art, and therefore we decided to add some of our observations to the insights we wish to share with the inhabitants of planet Earth.

It is yet too soon to speak directly, but we do hope that our thoughts will bring you joy and maybe even some wisdom.

Yours sincerely,

The universe

PS: All names and origins of the contributors have been deleted to ensure unbiased reading. The names can be found in the great ledger of the universe, a copy of which is available on all planets. Except on planet Earth. You know why.

art of covering the body, the

balances

beauty ideals

contrasts

emulating

freedom of a whim, the

originality

strength & vulnerability

The art of covering the body. When I first saw the headline, I nodded vigorously, remembering my latest walk through the snow after having dressed in a hurry. The cold got into every crack I hadn’t fortified. But it turned out that most other authors where more interesting in the art than in the covering. Though I found one entry by someone who had perfected the art of dressing in a way that afforded ideal protection from the sun and a maximum of cooling effect via many very thin layers of fabrics. And yet, as I continued to read the art-focused entries, I thought, I take a clever way to protect my body from heat or cold any day over some elaborate scheme to impress someone by a choice of clothes.

The art of covering the body = is best performed with a ritual. First relax, clean and cream the body. Then add layer after layer of personality. If what the mirror shows you makes you smile, you got it right. If your body takes the smile and twirls it into a dance, and you still like the feel of your choices, then the day is yours.

The art of covering the body = is really the art of seeing and appreciating the different types of body. Any body can be covered to create a remarkable appearance if everything the body has to offer is taken into account with appreciation.

balances = balances are tricky but usually rewarding

balances = In my mind a creation only comes into being once it has found something to balance itself. It might be a small element, a dot, it might be the expansion of an element or the addition of another.

balances = Balance is never about compromise or diplomacy, it’s always about finding out what works, what makes a design complete and stable.

beauty ideals = of the same fabric as fairy tales

beauty ideals = are unfortunately single minded

beauty ideals = Having beauty ideals is like worshipping an image with a single colour as opposed to being part of the incredible richness and diversity of human forms and characteristics which resembles an image with billions of colours.

contrasts = A good contrast is like adding spice to a meal.

contrasts = The more contrasts you use in a single design the louder it will yell until it starts to scream so loudly, you will have to turn away. Real beauty is in the thoughtfully applied contrast.

contrasts = Contrasts have the power to strengthen each other or to kill each other. A true creator is interested in creation not in killing.

emulating = It is natural for a child in a loving family to emulate their parents. There is little to worry about this. A child has to learn, and the best way to learn is to copy what it sees — we used to think.
But seeing that children as they grew kept emulating instead of focusing on becoming a character of their own making, started to worry us. And so we developed a programme which slowly weans children off emulation and helps them to become themselves.

emulating = Anyone who emulates is a copy of someone else.

emulating = It is no wonder that the earth humans make so little progress. They still want to become like others instead of finding out who they could be, what they could want, what they could achieve without reference to anyone else.

The freedom of a whim = We find that humans tend to call for freedom but rarely do they seem free enough to find their own style let alone allow a whim to guide a choice.

The freedom of a whim = It takes playfulness to give room to a whim and to follow an impulse which contrasts what is expected.

The freedom of a whim = is a true form of freedom. It is the freedom to change one’s mind on the spot and choose something to wear that will raise eyebrows. However, the freedom of a whim can also come in more moderate forms. For example, a person might decide to dress according to their mood, one day sparkly, the next casual, or whatever else the momentary mood might suggest.

originality = Some of our thinkers suggest that the lack of originality is the result of overbearing ideas. Ideas which are pushed so hard that people come to believe that everyone must have a beetle farm or be no longer considered a human.

originality = It is difficult to get the balance right. On the one hand, people use clothes to communicate who they are and what they want. That can lead to an erosion of originality as you see most strikingly in Earth humans who wear suits. On the other hand, if someone dresses original, then how do others interpret the attire? On our planet, we are still working on the details, but two inventions are particularly helpful. Number 1: have little symbolic items, like a pin, which are universally understood and add them to the unique attire. Number 2: organise shows where people present and interpret their originality. Of course, originality is a clue all by itself.

originality = There used to be people on our planet who said that originality leads to selfishness and to an unhealthy kind of self-centredness. While this can happen, we found out that people who develop a love and respect for themselves are more likely to appreciate others.

strength & vulnerability = To combine these two in a design is a great challenge and a wonderful achievement.

strength & vulnerability = To me outfits which combine elements of strength and vulnerability are the most honest creations. After all, most of us have both and most of us benefit from wearing both with pride.

strength & vulnerability = They sound like a contradiction. But I often wonder whether they don’t need each other. Not just like the sun needs the shadow, but also as a balance to make sure that a person doesn’t lose its soul to strength, or its happiness to vulnerability. Both make for a balanced person in my eyes. Therefore, my creations take two roads. One, where my creations mirror strength and vulnerability. And two, where my creations strengthen the one or the other.

The first views from around the universe we ever shared are published on the easy town ideas website.

By now this website offers a wide range of contributions from Aktionismus and angst to youth and zebra.

More entries from around the universe can be found on the websites listed below.

The Hub

Comments on the art of communication, and more.

book stations

Stories and observations for the reading corner.

towns and cities international

Comments on towns and cities, and more.

we need to talk about sex

Stories and testimonials regarding the human sexuality, and related subjects.

ripples

Comments on the worlds of doing business, charity and the like.

We are pleased to announce that the author Charlie Alice Raya has agreed to be available for readings. For more information see the easy town ideas website. There you will also find everything about pre-ordering the first edition of Views from around the universe, and about donations, both of which will ensure that we can continue with our work.