Exploring Shelter - Stone Wall Under Hedge Cuff

       

      Stone Wall Under Hedge Cuff

                               By my choice to adorn I draw you in, 

                                                         and keep you out.

                               Merino wool roving, immersion dyed, 

                                       wet-felted, resist formed, over dyed.          

                                       Photograph by Douglas Foulke

   

     When I started exploring the concept of shelter, I knew part of the journey would take me to my jewelry roots.  How could it not?  Every day that we make a choice of what to wear and what accessories to include, we are essentially choosing our shelter for the day, our dressing and statement for the world we expect to encounter.  Sometimes this shelter is intended to speak to us as much as it is to those that will see us, say, when we wear our powerful bold prints on a day when our footing might be less than confident.  Or when we select our "just browsing" outfit for an afternoon of shopping that's really a need to escape and not be intruded upon.    And of course, when we're at home and no one else is around, we might seek to put on our comfort clothes, while enjoying comfort food in the comfort of our own space.

     I've often wondered if one really wants a barometer of what's happening in the economy, the best place to look might be at what clothes and accessories are selling best.   Not based on what people can afford, but based on what they need to convey.  What we convey in the shelter of our clothing surely trumps what we can afford and if we can't afford a particular item, we look for something we can that will convey the same message.  I've wondered this in the same way I've wondered...with all the gorgeous, amazing incredible colors we could wear, what is being "said" when the most popular color is black (or the new blacks of brown, gray, dark blue, etc.)?  Sure, I get it's easy and it goes with everything, but it also says something.  

     So what are you wearing today?  Are you wearing "leave me alone" or "come close"?  "I'm on top of the world" or "stuck in the valley"?  "I'm powerful, confident and talented" or "I'm ordinary with not much to offer"?  The shelter of our clothing - and our jewelry - does indeed send a message.  What's yours?