fashion chemistry

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Jungian Chic

what is transformation?

i was asked by my childhood friend, Mark, to explain, in detail, what a person feels when they put on a special piece of clothing. the only word i have for this is:

transformation

i studied lots and lots of chemistry.  not well, mind you.  but in one of my prior lifetimes, i was meant to be a chemical engineer.  the university of arizona even had the foolish thought to foster my temporary engineering status with a couple of scholarships.  after many months of hearing about chemical reactors, and watching my entire class fake our way through an archaic programming language- yes, we used to actually have to write computer code, for the kids out there- i chose a more people-oriented study.  however, i do remember this term in chemistry:

transformation

in chemistry, transformation occurs when two chemical substances meet, ie matter and energy.  the product of this reaction is different from the substances that created it.  there has been a reaction, a transformation.

our bodies do this every minute of the day: carbohydrate, fat, and protein are converted in the Kreb's cycle to create energy, water and carbon dioxide.  the input is transformed into something the body can use to move and sustain life.

Carl Jung put this into relationship terms.  i like what he said:

"the meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed."

so mr. marky mark, when i discovered this beautiful fur cloche in an antique store, i put it on.  the transformation was so strong, that i couldn't take it off. i browsed the store for an hour and watched the reaction of the other patrons.  i even asked a woman what she thought when i caught her staring.  to my surprise, she said, "it belongs on you.  it looks like you." 

wait.  a complete stranger knows what looks like me?  do i look like a hat??

oh, iphone. here's a better picture... this hat is special:

the point is, the hat transported me to some other time. i felt the history upon me and i wanted to know who had purchased the hat and what it had meant to them.  in my case, it felt unique and quite comforting on my head.  as if that is where it belonged. 

"it looks like you."

i wore this hat for many hours of travel to aunt florence's funeral, not because it was a comfort over many miles, and not because wearing a fur hat on a sweltering airplane in the middle of january is particularly wonderful.  i promise you, it is not.  i wore the hat because i knew that she would appreciate it's time travel, and the curiosity i had for it's history. if only you could talk, madam cloche.  what stories you would tell!!  this is the beginning of the illumination of the topic of transformation. stay tuned for more... just wait 'til i get going!!

xx