Why clothes matter to the soul: an invitation to contemplation fashion series
“And here let me interrupt the conversation to remark upon the great mistake of teaching children that they have souls. The consequence is, that they think of their souls as of something which is not themselves…They ought to be taught that they have bodies; and that their bodies die; while they themselves live on…It is making altogether too much of the body, and is indicative of an evil tendency to materialism, that we talk as if we possessed souls, instead of being souls.”
(Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood by George MacDonald)
In Genesis 2:7, God creates the first human: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (KJV). Here we see that man who is flesh (body) becomes a living soul (Hebrew word: nephesh) by the breath (GK: pneuma: spirit) of God. This paradigm is fundamental as to why humanity encompasses more than the superficial, outer appearance and everyday things (like clothes) matter on a deeper level.
Clothes matter to the soul because we are more than our bodies. No one sees our souls, but everyone sees our bodies via clothing. Wearing clothes may tell others a little about we are, maybe about our vocations, and even about what we care about or don’t care about. Clothes give personality to the living soul.
Most importantly, as Christians who no longer walk according to the flesh, our bodies become a precious temple of the Holy Spirit; therefore, it becomes even more important to pay attention to proper concerns of the body. As Christians, we have been redeemed through Jesus Christ’s work on the cross (death, burial and resurrection): “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT).
Even though we still inhabit this earth, we are called to a higher standard of living. Even in our mortal flesh we are to honor God, and that extends to what we wear. Others tend to first notice our outerwear, so clothing can be a testimony to others. This can happen through beauty and symmetry in one’s look, or through wearing quality, ethically sourced garments.
Because we entered the world (post fall) clothed and because in Heaven, believers will continue to be clothed, clothing matters. I hope that you will join me in this exploration of faith, slow fashion and spiritual formation. I pray that you will be routed to the Beautiful and Holy One.