My name is Cat and I am a shopaholic. So what could I possibly have to say about Wabi-Sabi, the classical Japanese philosophy/aesthetic that values the natural, the worn, the flawed, the incomplete? Isn't the classic shopaholic forever in search of new stuff? That perfect car, lamp, lipstick or pair of shoes that's supposed to magically move the purchaser farther down the road towards a happier Tomorrow? Isn't Wabi-Sabi about appreciating what is right in front of you right now? As in Today? Every shopper has had the experience of walking through the mall or surfing the 'net and happening across That Very Special Something That is Calling My Name. Wabi-Sabi also allows for that kind of synchronicity, especially when the item has something about it that others would consider a flaw but you consider beautiful. Now if I were to be brutally honest, I would have to admit that my house is not filled with purchases of this caliber. But I have bought some true treasures, like the boots that were re-soled twice before the uppers totally fell apart or the dress with fabric so gorgeous (to me) that I've refashioned it 3 times in the more than 10 years I've owned it and it seems to get better with each incarnation.
What these treasures have in common is that they totally suit me. My attraction to them has nothing to do with whether or not they're "in style." I am sooo tired of ad executives, makeover show hosts, fashion magazine editors and retail buyers trying to hypnotize the rest of us into accepting their everchanging rules of "what's hot and what's not." In order for them to make the Big Money they have to convince us that what we already own is defective, outdated or just plain ugly. Their solution of course is for us to buy new stuff and lots of it.
And we'd also better pick up some anti-wrinkle cream, complexion brightener, cellulite smoother and diet pills because according to these self-proclaimed experts, our bodies are probably defective, outdated and ugly too! But true style is a personal thing so why walk around expressing somebody else's idea of what's beautiful, cool, or otherwise desirable and running up a ton of credit card debt in the process?
I'm not an expert on Wabi-Sabi but I know it's something I want more of in my life. From what I've been able to figure out so far, it is the marriage of two concepts: wabi, meaning humble or simple, and sabi, which connotes the kind of beauty that comes with natural processes like aging or weathering. Wabi denotes simplicity and quietude, and also incorporates rustic beauty. It includes both that which is made by nature, and that which is made by people. It also can mean an accidental or happenstance element or small flaw which gives elegance and uniqueness to the whole, such as the pattern made by a flowing glaze on a ceramic vase. Sabi refers to things whose beauty stems from age. It refers to the patina of age, the concept that changes due to use may make an object more beautiful and valuable. This also incorporates an appreciation of the cycles of life and careful, artful mending of damage. Together, the phrase invites us to set aside our pursuit of perfection and learn to appreciate the simple, unaffected beauty of things as they are.
Wabi-sabi can be found in the deep cracks of a weathering pine table, the rips in a well-worn pair of jeans, or the irregularities in a hand-dyed fabric. Wabi-sabi is seeing the beauty in a nose with a bump on it, eyes with a few laugh lines around them, legs that are sturdy but not fashion-model sleek or a belly that's soft and comfortable but nowhere near the rock hard abs of a pop star. Not that there's anything wrong with self improvement, if the desire to change comes from within. But too often we humans judge ourselves more by society's standards than our own especially in the media-driven West. We could learn something from the Eastern Wabi Sabi philosophy.
Now the shopoholic in me still seeks that "rush" that comes with buying, wearing or using something "new and absolutely fabulous". And every once in a while a very special dress, necklace or gadget crosses my path, I buy it and we do live happily together for quite a long time. But looking back on all the stuff I've bought in my lifetime, probably 5% is in that Very Special category. The rest is just stuff, usually overpriced and mostly pretty ordinary.
I don't know who was the first person to come up with the idea of deconstructing used garments and reconstructing them into clever new ones but more and more people seem to be doing it lately. And what a great idea! If we must have something new, why not make it something really new... something that isn't for sale in hundreds of stores? Recycled fashion is good for the environment, good for the wallet and good for the soul :-)
Author ~ Catresea Ann Canivan
