Guest Post: Understanding the Language of Fashion

This week, is pretty exciting… we're highlighting an alumnus, Grace Edwards, of John Paul the Great Catholic University. So get this!! 💁‍♀️ They've recently introduced a Fashion program!! Wow, would I have loved this when I went to school. Perhaps, it could be the perfect path for you, your daughter, your sister, or your Catholic-fashionista friend. I know you’ll enjoy reading this insightful article on the language of fashion. Grace can really communicate why what we wear matters.

Understanding the Language of Fashion

Guest post by Grace Edwards

People don’t often realize or understand that fashion is a language - just like words, gestures or

body language, clothes show the world who we are, who we want to become, and who we once

were. We all use clothes to communicate whether we know it or not. So the question is: how do

we learn to understand this language?

Simply put, your clothes reflect who you are. Your personality, your emotions, and even your

behaviors. The colors you wear can signify how you’re feeling. For example, darker colors like

black are often associated with feelings of depth, introspection, even angst or sadness. On the

flip side, bright colors like yellow or pink often reflect joy, confidence, or a playful spirit. What

you wear has the power to display who you are, and colors can be one of the biggest factors in

understanding the language of fashion.

Style also evolves with you. Have you ever noticed your style change slowly over time, or in the

blink of an eye? Your style changes as you change, and you can use your style as an outward

expression of your interior journey. As a high schooler, I could often be seen wearing bright

colors, like yellow or hot pink, and I often had a lot going on in the outfit. I remember loving this

style. And while I often got some snide remarks from classmates about my outfits, I never felt

more free, happy, and like myself.

Now that I’m 23, my style has slowly evolved beyond that. While I miss that fun quirky style I

also love my new style because it reflects who I am now. I have a greater focus on expressing

my womanhood, beauty, and God-given dignity. There is a saying within fashion that “As far as

fashion is concerned, there are only two ages—girlhood and womanhood.” I’m actually in an in-

between space now. Grieving the loss of my girlhood fashion, but trying to carry its spirit with

me. I’m searching for the perfect blend: the fun and freedom of my younger self, woven into the

sophistication of who I’m becoming.

Fashion gives us a space to play with identity. To shape how we want to be understood. It lets

us tell our story—even as that story changes.

Learning and understanding your own style isn’t just about your appearance and what looks

best on you. It’s about understanding yourself. Find out what makes you feel confident, what

makes you feel comfortable, and what makes you feel seen. I find so much wisdom and beauty

in understanding fashion and yourself. It shows others self-respect, self-confidence, and self

awareness.

At its core, fashion can serve as an outward sign of beauty, helping you show the world your

unique individual beauty. The patron saint of my alma mater, John Paul II, said in his Letter to

Artists that “Beauty is the visible form of the good, just as the good is the metaphysical condition

of beauty.” When we express beauty through fashion, we’re doing more than putting together an

outfit—we’re reflecting something good, something whole, something deeply human. Fashion,

when it’s true to who we are, is one of the purest forms of self-expression.

Grace Edwards graduated from John Paul the Great Catholic University in 2023 with a Bachelor's Degree in Communications, emphasis in Graphic Design. During her time at JPCatholic, she worked as a costume designer on numerous stage productions as well as the feature films “O, Brawling Love!” and “No Reception”. She also cultivated a passion for fashion, culminating in a senior thesis project designing and creating ten looks. She continues to play a key role in supporting the university’s emerging Fashion Design program. Learn more at jpcatholic.edu/go/fashion