For many people, self-injury means shame and hiding their body. Through styling and fashion, some find the path to self-acceptance.
Fashion’s association with self-harm is a long, well-established one: with the cult of thinness, body modification, and impractical clothes, the saying that “one must suffer to be beautiful” is one that women’s fashion lives by. Such unrealistic beauty standards can take a toll on mental health, causing body issues, lack of confidence, and even eating disorders. And yet, things have started to change about a decade ago, with some people challenging these rigid beauty standards on social media. This marks the rise of inclusive fashion and body positivity. Far from being a revolution however, it is a slow change.
Brands have grown aware of the need to develop inclusivity to keep up with public concern, and they have timidly started to introduce diversity in their campaigns, with varying degrees of sincerity. It’s no longer rare to see plus size models, models from different racial or religious backgrounds, or with a disability, in advertising or fashion magazines. Self-injury scars however have remained ignored by the majority of companies, perhaps due to stigma and the fear of contagion associated with it. The rare brands that dare to feature self-injury in their products and promotion campaigns are independent or alternative brands. And still, each time, such representation is met with controversy.
In 2018, independent clothing company Goodbye Bread posted a photograph of a model wearing a swimming suit on Instagram. The post could appear unremarkable at first glance, but it doesn’t take long to notice something unusual: the model has self-injury scars. The same year, inclusive lingerie brand Lonely published photographs with a similarly-scarred model to promote their products on social media. These posts triggered debate in the comments, with some accusing the brands of glamorizing self-injury. Others on the other hand were glad to see people with scars getting more representation, and felt more confident not concealing their own scars. Many people with self-injury choose to hide their body, wear long clothes in hot weather, and avoid engaging in any activity that would show their skin. Self-injury impacts the very way a person looks and dresses. That fashion brands show self-injury scars in their promotion is far from being insignificant, and it can contribute to lowering the stigma surrounding mental health.
Reactions are less positive however when self-injury is exploited by a large company. In 2015, Topshop released a set of golden temporary tattoos depicting scars and stretch marks, under the slogan “Flaws worth fighting for”. While it did not necessarily represent self-harm, the product was met with great public outcry, from people with experience of it and those with none alike. As with Goodbye Bread and Lonely, Topshop was accused of glamorizing mental health issues, and selling self-injury as a fashion item to its young female customers. People who suffered from self-injury were also much less sympathetic to the giant retailer’s campaign: these tattoos are temporary, and can be removed whenever the wearer wants, unlike people who have to live their daily lives with permanent scars.
Alternative fashion is not immune to such debate either, nor is this debate limited to the western world. In 2014, Japanese artist Bisuko Ezaki and jewelry brand Conpeitou collaborated to release a bracelet featuring the illustration of a cut wrist. As was to be expected, the item caused great backlash, and was eventually discontinued. And yet, those aware of Bisuko Ezaki’s art are familiar with such gory and dark themes. Ezaki’s work belongs to a subgenre of kawaii aesthetic called Yami Kawaii, meaning “sick cute”. The style, which also translates into fashion, often features dark mental health imagery such as nooses, pills, and razors. It aims at making mental health issues more visible in a country where they are often rendered invisible. Through Yami Kawaii art and fashion, young people can express and reappropriate their struggle. Of course reappropriation of self-injury does not exist exclusively in Yami Kawaii. Some people who have recovered from self-injury wear a razor blade pendant as a reminder of their story, for example. Topshop tattoos, Yami Kawaii, and razor blade pendants are ways people may use fashion, ornaments, and self-styling to reappropriate their struggle, and make them visible to the world. But in a society where self-injury is still strongly stigmatized, not everyone may be comfortable with the idea of displaying their difficulties, nor want to be reminded of their scars every time they look in a mirror.
Nowadays, several options exist to remove scars, such as surgery, laser therapy, or paramedical tattooing – the use of pigments to replicate the pattern of unscared skin. Yet, some people choose to keep their scars, but to instead cover them with a tattoo. Cover-up tattooing is a way to turn scars into art, and to transform an often unwanted feature into something the scarred person has decided. It can help people accept their body, experience less social stigma, and move on in recovery.
Whether by increasing representation of people with scars, or by helping them love and accept their body, styling and fashion can be a powerful tool in mental health awareness. Fashion brands and magazines all have a role to play in this, as they teach us what is currently deemed pretty or not. And just like they led us toward thinness and uniformity, they can now show us that beauty comes in all forms.
If you found this article interesting and would like to further explore how the media, celebrities, and the fashion industry both raise awareness and glamorize self-injury, I recommend the following articles:
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