Ariana Grande has just given us a candid peep into an age of her life, which most of her fans are aware of but can scarcely comprehend. In the year 2018, her legendary look, with oversized hoodies and thigh-high boots, was one of the images of the year. Although the combination was widely applauded as a trend in fashion, to Grande, it was much more a personal thing, a sort of emotional armor in extremely rough times. During an honest interview in the Vogue Life in Looks series, she established that the outfit was not about style, it was more of survival. It was an odd period of my life, I told myself, I observed, thinking of the emotional burden of my wardrobe.
The reason as told by the singer illuminates the fact, that individual challenges tend to affect the way one looks in front of the crowd, and the fans may not notice it at once. Her decision was based on the need to be comfortable and simple. Grande said that she had minimal mental power to devote to fashion or design. Rather, she became drawn to dressing in the way that she could shut herself down in a cocoon of comfort and coziness. Big hoodies, cotton materials and warm boots became her new home. The boots continued to give her a sense of confidence even when all the other things seemed to weigh her down and burden her, in her words. But I still feel that the boots made me feel c–t, she said. It was an outfit not simply about hiding out of sight of the world but about seeking small empowering actions in the sea of chaos.
The reflection by Grande reflects the further link between fashion and emotional wellbeing. What appeared to the masses was a bold, fashionable performer when the reality was much more subtle. This segment enabled Vogue to de package the invisible, unspoken job clothing was playing in her coping mechanism. She explained that the hoodies are a reminder of a shield, a silent guard, which helped her to make her way in the everyday reality and deal with the very deep sense of loss and panic. The cosiness and a hint of glamour in the boots provided her with an escape to feel herself grounded even when her inner world was in chaos. She told me, the simplest thing to do in my opinion was to put on a sweatshirt and a c-y boot and that was the way it happened.
There were not only professional pressures of that year, but also the personal tragedy. Later on in September 2018 Grande lost her former boyfriend and rapper Mac Miller in an accidental overdose at 26 years old. The loss that ensued was very devastating to her and increased an already emotionally demanding time. In a 2019 interview with Vogue, as part of the cover story in August, she candidly talked about the loss, saying, among other things, that, unfortunately, what we had together was not perfect, but, like, f—, he was the best person ever, and he did not deserve the demons he had. Her words are an expression of the uncivilized, untamed suffering that informed her decisions, such as her requirement of protective, cozy clothing.
Looking back at that period, Grande said the way she was relating to others, and her personal sense of wholeness, started to change. I was the glue, I was the glue, as long as long enough, I had been the glue, and I had become less and less eye-sticky. The fragments began to drift away, she said, and that was the feeling of fragmentation many people tend to feel at times when they are overcome by grief. In this respect, the oversized hoodies were not just a fashion choice, but a coping tool, a means of establishing a barrier between herself and the excessive demands of life.
People tend to idolize the fashion of celebrities without the knowledge of the context of the person who wears it. In Grande 2018, the uniform of hoodies and boots was popularly imitated, discussed, and praised by the fashion media. However, behind the headlines, the decision was highly practical, as it was the necessity rather than the need to be liked. To Grande, these clothes enabled her to walk into the world with a feeling of security despite the fact that she has exhausted her mental and emotional resources. The ease of a hoodie was a refreshing relief, and the boots were a slight source of confidence, which created the balance that helped her to cope with the day-to-day issues she encountered.
In retrospective, the reflection of Grande is a reminder that style may have a complicated emotional meaning. Clothes can be a silent form of testament to our troubles, providing solace and defense and at most some sense of control when life seems out of control. To Grande, the hoodies acted as a barrier as well as a demonstration of perseverance, a physical expression of getting through the pain. They show us that even famous personalities who we view as being bigger than life are vulnerable too and need to have self rituals to help them overcome a difficult time.
Another aspect of personal grief and life in society is revealed through her frankness. The emotional load may increase due to the loss of a loved one under the watchful eyes of the whole world. In retrospect, Grande dresses in a way that narrates of a person who is struggling to shield herself against outside forces and is dealing with a deep sense of loss. It is a tribute to the fact that even the most uninspiring things, such as a favorite hoodie, can be the key to staying emotionally secure even in the hardest times.
The hoodies still have symbolic value even today several years later. They highlight a period of life characterized by hardiness, grief and silent survival. The costumes, which are aesthetically exalted, are secret stories of survival and adaptation. The fact that Grande is not afraid to talk about this publicly will provide fans with an insight into her humanity and support more people to talk about grief, mental health, and self-care. It emphasizes the fact that the things we wear do not necessarily express our fashion tastes but also may represent our inner worlds, which require something to feel secure, nurtured, or even empowered.
