The Most Beautiful Thing You Can Wear
Our house is under renovation and so my usual spots where I drink coffee, play guitar, or simply hang — they have changed. I’m getting used to this new favorite spot. At my left is an open door, and through it is a big mirror where I’m able to see my full body in random sitting positions.
Normally I’d look in this mirror to check how I’m wearing an outfit and see if I look okay. But this morning as I was drinking coffee, I found my reflection like it was the first time I’ve seen myself.
In my mind, I looked beautiful.
So I took a selfie. A self-portrait, to make it sound like art. I was going to take just one photo for Instagram stories, but I immediately wanted to try more angles. That’s normal in taking selfies — but this felt like a photoshoot!
Sounds vain, but let me just do some self-love. 🥰
I liked how the natural lighting made it effortless, and how the open door worked well as a frame. I wish it looked cleaner, but Instagram doesn’t need us to be perfect. (or I’m just too lazy to clean up)
Looking in this big mirror, able to observe my full body and the many ways I sit — I realized this can be how I look like from someone else’s perspective.
The mirror is an ordinary object, but it’s strange if you think about it. If the idea of reflection doesn’t exist, we would’ve never seen how others see us, physically.
It’s important to know how we look like, because it develops our sense of self.
But think about this for a moment:
Imagine a world where we didn’t need to be beautiful.
Maybe it’s vanity that got me these selfies. But I also just have a huge fascination for the human body — sketching and taking photos of body figures in a flattering manner. I have no intention of faking reality, I just like to make people feel beautiful. I didn’t realize until today, I could do that to myself too.
Sometimes, the magic is in better lighting and angle. But many factors add to what would pass our society’s “beauty standards,” such as proportion. Isn’t it funny calling a face perfect when it fits the golden ratio? I’m not sure.
But to me, beauty will always be also a matter of perspective.
And in case we forget:
“The most beautiful thing you can wear is confidence.”
— Blake Lively
Thanks for your time!
My name is Enne, and I do graphic design + photography.
Can I help you with my skills? 😊 See my work here.
This story was originally written on September 17, 2017 via Instagram
