“Why do you care about fashion if you’re blind?” – Addressing the stigma

“Why do you care about fashion if you’re blind?”

First of all, why shouldn’t I care? Why should the fact that I’m vision impaired instantly result in me neglecting my appearance and the things I choose to wear?

Whilst i’m sure some people say things like this because they’re curious about how certain aspects of life can be made accessible or to show their willingness to learn, it can also be frustrating to think that people have these preconceived ideas about how blind and partially sighted people should or shouldn’t look. 

I think questions like this one stem from the infamous, “you don’t look blind” stereotype which still baffles some of us who are blind/vision impaired.

It’s hard to understand what people’s image of a blind/VI person really is and why some people believe that we must look a certain way.

Sure, not every blind/VI person out there loves fashion or likes to experiment with the latest makeup products which line the shelves but we should remember that not every sighted person has interests in these things either, so surely it’s more of a personality trait than it is anything to do with sight loss?

I enjoy pairing outfits together, incorporating elements of the latest trends into my own style. I enjoy expressing myself through the clothes I wear and the same goes for many other blind and partially sighted people.  

Why do these misconceptions exist?

Two words, the media.

Vision impairment has been portrayed in a negative way in the past, and still is in many cases. Those of us who are blind/VI are portrayed as unfashionable people who don’t enthuse in making an effort with our appearance and this leads to people still believing the stereotypes that have been created.

When I tweeted about this question a couple of days ago, quite a few people replied telling me that they have recieved the same or similar questions and it shocks many of us that people still hold these preconceived ideas.

I understand that people are curious and maybe those who ask questions like this ask them because they want to learn about how fashion can be made accessible but if you enjoy expressing yourself in a certain way, why should that be questioned just because of your vision impairment or disability?

How fashion can be appreciated without sight

I’ve spoken before about how I embrace fashion as a blind/VI person but I think there’s still more that can be said on the topic and there are so many different ways in which fashion can be appreciated.

 I might not have much remaining vision but I still like to immerse myself in a world of fashion and makeup despite not being able to appreciate it in the same way as everyone else. 

I appreciate beauty and fashion in a different way, in a way that I can still enjoy it.

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Think about it for a moment, if you’re fully sighted, is it only the visual aspects of clothing you take note of when trying it on? Or do you also think about the fabric, the texture, the quality and the movement of the item?

I’m sure we all take note of these things, even without realising it sometimes but as someone who can’t see much, these things are constantly at the forefront of my mind.

It’s these things that determine if I like an item or not, if I feel confident and comfortable when wearing it or not.

Take the *blouse I’m wearing in these images for example. I ordered it online because the description given was quite a good one, it described it as an ‘ivory pleated detail high neck blouse’ which I envisaged to be something I’d love to wear, It’s not often that you’ll find me wearing something that hasn’t got a high neck at this time of year.

When I took the blouse out of the packaging, I instantly loved the way it felt, it was almost silk like to me and I knew it was a unique piece to add to my wardrobe, something which isn’t similar to anything else I own.

I loved the high neck and the button details on it as well as at the cuff of the sleeves, it almost brought me this sense of sophistication when wearing it but I was slightly skeptical because I’m not normally one for wearing things like this.

But my mum and brother confirmed that it looked nice so that initial instinct I had when I first tried it on was right and I think that goes to show that you can determine if something is right for you or not just depending on the fabric, the texture and the way it makes you feel.

Fashion is so much more than its visual aspects, it’s possible to enjoy it and have a passion for it despite having low or no vision and there are so many blind/VI people out there who can advocate this message.

This might not be the biggest issue in the grand scheme of things and I know that there are so many important topics which need to be discussed but this is important in the sense that it highlights how disability representation still needs to change. 

People have this picture in their minds, a one-dimensional image which can lead to them painting everyone with the same brush. 

It needs to stop. 

It’s no one’s place to judge or question someone on something they enjoy.

The next time you walk into your favourite shop, think about all the ways in which the clothes you see can be appreciated.

Think about the fabric, the texture, the quality and the shape of the garment and maybe even try to determine whether it’s for you or not based on all these things, not just how it looks.

Fashion can be interpreted in so many different ways, everyone has their own personal style and we all have opinions in terms of what we deem ‘fashionable’ or not, even those of us who can’t judge that in terms of how something looks.

So, if you’re also vision impaired, don’t let anyone tell you how you should or shouldn’t look.

If you like to wear bright colours, go for it. If you rock a monochrome look, carry on doing just that. If you enjoy dabbling in the latest trends and like going on the occassional shopping trip, don’t let the stigmas and people’s shock when they come across anything but a stereotype prevent you from expressing that love and enjoyment.

It’s important that we feel confident in ourselves and if you find that confidence in the form of fashion then embrace it by all means, vision impairment shouldn’t be a barrier and niether should others’ misconceptions.

SHOP THE LOOK

The ability to express ourselves through what we wear shouldn’t be taken away from us just because we can’t see.

We shouldn’t have to justify why we like putting effort into our appearance.

“Why do you care about fashion if you’re blind?”, well, I care because I want to prove to people that even what they perceive to be the most visual of things can be appreciated in other ways.

I find enjoyment when researching the latest trends, when going shopping, when pairing outfits together. I like it when my mum or my friends ask me for my advice regarding an outfit and I love putting effort into my appearance despite not being able to judge the final look for myself.

I want to feel confident in the way I present myself and the urge in me to do that shouldn’t have to deteriorate along with my eyesight.

Fashion is my way of expressing myself, it’s my way of showing that my disability isn’t the only thing that defines me and that I have hobbies and interests just like everyone else.

It’s time that fashion is appreciated in more than just a visual way, it’s time that blind and vision impaired people aren’t questioned on the things they enjoy.

We shouldn’t have to answer questions that people wouldn’t dream of asking a fully sighted person.

So, let me ask you a question, whether you’re vision impaired or fully sighted, why do you care about fashion? Or maybe you don’t, let me know why that is as well because I’m interested to know people’s thoughts on this topic.

The next time you spot an outfit you love, remember that it can be appreciated in so many different ways, not just visually. And also, maybe keep in mind that the person wearing that outfit might well be blind or vision impaired.

And to the person who asked “Why do you care about fashion if you’re blind?”, thank you for helping me translate the misconception into a blog post, I hope it gave you a bit of an insight into how fashion can be loved by anyone, even those of us who can’t see.

Elin x

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