Like many women today, I struggle with comparisons. I don’t exactly fit the mold of what I saw online. In the past, this might have discouraged me from attending. But as I dove deeper into the subculture and history of Burning Man, I had to ask myself … if one of the 10 Principles of Burning Man is “Radical Self Expression”, why then was I attempting to look like everyone else? Rather than copy what was “fashionable” I decided to peer into my own closet to find what my unique gifts might be and magically my own style started to take shape. Here are a few things I learned about my own style --
My closet is a treasure trove of fun fashion finds. When I first started “planning”, I seemed to forget that I used to pride myself on having something in my closet for any kind of theme party I might get invited to. I have disco, retro, boho, hippy and more. I have wigs, wraps, ethnic pieces from travels abroad, and even cowboy boots from days spent in the Utah desert. Sure I bought a few practical items like goggles, a face mask and LED lights to light up me and my bike at night, which are considered essential to avoid the dust and be safe in the pitch black of night, but I resisted the urge to design a new wardrobe just for this event, thereby resisting the urge to spend on consumables, lightly touching on yet another of the 10 Principles- Decommodification.
I don’t need to wear #burnerbraids to be cool. After canceling the appointment I scheduled to get braids (saving over $400), I dipped into my cache of wigs and just like that I had multiple unique looks to play with. I spent most of the “burn” wearing my hair natural, despite the warnings that the playa dust would wreak havoc on my hair. Admittedly, having an RV that allowed me regular showers was a treat. I may still get funky braids one day, but it will be to try a fun experiment, not to be like someone else.
Photo credit Xavi Reig/@xvionfire