Why not run a marathon with a ribbon in your hair?
The power of accessories, + secondhand links to sparkle up your summer outfits
I was reading a newsletter on Substack that I have since lost track of (I can’t, for the life of me, find it again so that I can give due credit, and for that I apologise). It was a recap of the writer’s week. I think she ran a half-marathon. At the very end, as a casual aside, she shares a photo of the stranger who was standing in front of her at the starting line with a comment: “how cute is her hair?”. The girl in the photo was wearing normal running gear, getting ready to run 21km (no big deal), and her hair was parted in two tightly wound french braids. To the writer’s and my own delight: through the braids ran a thick yellow ribbon, tied in two big bows at the ends.
Seeing this photo made me feel a lot of things that I didn’t know I could feel by looking at someone’s hair. I felt excited, happy, hopeful. This girl had just taken unnecessary steps to turn something practical and mundane (her hairstyle on a race day) into something joyful and fun. I picture the ritual of it all. Thinking of the idea, planning which colour ribbons to wear, waking up on race day a few minutes earlier just so she could do it properly. Then looking at her work in the mirror, maybe taking a couple of photos of herself pre-race, ready to achieve something remarkable on its own, but with two yellow ribbons in her hair. Because, why not?
It reminded me of this quote by writer Tansy E. Hoskins for Fashioning The Future: “What is fashion for? Is it for fun, or to protect and enhance the body, to act as a creative outlet, to represent culture and history, to seduce or repel, to showcase and celebrate difference, to bring joy?”
I think it’s all of the above. But it also goes deeper than that. I once read an essay at university that argued that posting on social media is a way for us to not only express our identities to everyone else, but to actively construct them. I believe fashion is the same. By choosing which clothes to wear, you’re not just saying “this is who I am”. It is through the very act of wearing those specific clothes that you become that person. Doing research for this piece I found I might not be too far off — there are indeed academic articles talking about this theory. This is one of the reasons fashion and shopping are so addicting. It feels, even if just for a second, incredibly empowering.
Liking clothes and wearing ribbons in one’s hair for something like running a marathon are things that are often seen in society as frivolous or vain. Mainly because they are traditionally feminine things to enjoy and engage with.
In the risk of dampening the mood, let me share something a bit personal: I feel happier when I’m choosing clothes and accessories in a more intentional way. When I like what they say about me. When they add a little sparkle to my day, just because. I have struggled with mental health and anxiety since I was about 16. Because of this, it has been a recurring theme in my life to feel, at times, a heaviness in everything I do. Like performing the smallest, most insignificant tasks sometimes feels like I am actually the one running the half-marathon, when in reality all I have to do is get out of bed and get a haircut. I am almost always pushing a big, heavy rock up a very steep hill. But when I put in the effort to wear a ribbon in my hair, figuratively and literally, I feel better. And I realise now this is because, in choosing to wear something a little joyful, I am actively becoming that little bit more lighthearted. The hill is not so steep anymore; the rock is a little bit smaller. And that’s the whole point: fashion is not performative. It’s taking agency in creating your own identity. It’s self-actualisation.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with frivolous things — they are what make our world actually bearable — but I don’t think there is anything frivolous about that.
So, why not? Run a marathon with a ribbon in your hair. Climb up the hill with a sea shell necklace around your neck. Swim against the current in a sparkly bikini. I know I will.
This is the mood I’m going for this summer. Below, some secondhand links if you’d like to join me <3
Some secondhand sparkle:
Le Specs ‘Oh Damn’ clear rectangular sunglasses,
€65 RRP€19
The Jacksons ‘Amour’ bag,
€100 RRP€80Red coral necklace, €13
Minerva shrimp necklace,
€65 RRP€25
Tiwi ‘Matisse’ green sunglasses,
€85 RRP€60
Faithfull The Brand beaded bag,
€150 RRP€79Hey Harper ‘La Passion’ heart ring,
€60 RRP€20Seashell necklace, €30
I hope you’re having a light week :)
See you on Sunday, as always, for the best resale items of the week.
Love,
Bea
I know this is an old post, but I just have to say, I'm not much of a fashion person, I rarely have the urge to spend money on things I think look cute, even if it's cheap, but I do love adding random whimsical things to my day and life, and this article made me smile throughout. Wrote excerpts of it in my notebook, to keep forever❤️ thank you!