Loving looking good: Clothing and self-esteem
Often described as a second skin, clothing is an external expression and representation of an individual’s personality. Our sense of self and identity is often influenced by the types of clothing that we can access. Clothing affects and reflects our sense of self and our self-esteem.
The Thread Together Queensland partners are keenly aware of this connection and have long recognised that clothing is not only a covering, but also core to the way people communicate about themselves to the world.
Michelle Greaves, a Service Manager with the Anglicare Southern Queensland Children and Families Team, says “Clothing can help people become the person they need and want to be.”
“Anglicare’s goal is to build people up, and the Thread Together program will support us to do that.”
Success story
The collaboration between Thread Together, Anglicare and St Andrew’s is providing families and youth who are doing it tough with brand new clothing that positively impacts on people’s lives.
Michelle goes on to describe the success of the project through one particular case of a young person exiting juvenile detention.
Michelle Greaves
“Clothing is a primary need. It is something that can help people meet self-actualisation and become the person they need and want to be.”
Michelle works with at risk-youth, and oversees more than 35 youth workers across three different services in the Logan area.