I'm sorry to be frank, but there is no real clothing freedom.

I often see people saying, "Do we have clothing freedom?" accompanied by several nice photos. Actually, I know that this is a clickbait and just a traffic gimmick. I didn't want to pay attention to it initially, but I kept receiving the push notifications, so I thought about it carefully.

In reality, the law does not explicitly dictate what we must wear or cannot wear (unless it involves explicit content). Therefore, we can all freely choose our attire. Even if I were to wear the Emperor's new clothes, I would probably be sent to a mental hospital rather than prison. However, this is the freedom to choose what to wear, not the freedom of clothing itself.

When we say we hope for clothing freedom, what we actually mean is that we want our attire to be accepted, not criticized, and even praised. But even gold is not liked by everyone. If you expect to be acknowledged and praised, naturally you will also face opposition and dislike. Everyone has the freedom to express themselves, so it is impossible to prohibit criticism and insults, except in cases of abusive language.

Therefore, if clothing freedom is about others' attitudes, like saying, "I can wear whatever I want, and you don't have to bother," then I believe this kind of freedom is not possible unless everyone's moral standards are so high that they "don't care about others' affairs."

However, we can achieve the freedom to choose our attire. Since there are no legal standards, I can dress according to my preferences without breaking the law, and it doesn't actually harm anyone. However, we need to take responsibility for our choices and bear all the consequences, whether they are good or bad. I freely choose my attire and am willing to accept all the evaluations related to it, whether they are praise or criticism.

This attitude is "I will wear whatever I want, and I don't care how you see me."

Jean-Paul Sartre said, "Freedom is choice and active action." Since there are no fixed standards, rules, or guidelines, there are no absolute rights or wrongs, but we need to bear the consequences of our choices.

Therefore, clothing freedom has nothing to do with others' attitudes but rather with our own strength. This strength is not about power, wealth, or force but about our inner self. It is about whether we can truly face and endure it. Instead of asking if we have clothing freedom, it is better to ask ourselves, "Can I truly say 'I don't care'?" If we can, then we can have the freedom to dress as we please.

Today, I dressed like this for work and my boss criticized me. Does that mean I don't have clothing freedom?

My boyfriend/girlfriend asked me to change my clothes, or we won't go shopping. Does that mean I don't have clothing freedom?

I had an argument with my mother because of what clothes to wear. Does that mean I don't have clothing freedom?

I often see these kinds of questions filled with sadness and frustration. But I usually respond coldly, saying, "Indeed, you don't have clothing freedom." Because from your questions, it seems that you are still being interfered with, restricted, and even disciplined. If you can't break free from this interference of "what you can't do," how can you possibly have the freedom to do whatever you want?

The British philosopher Isaiah Berlin divided "freedom" into "negative freedom" and "positive freedom." Negative freedom means not being interfered with or obstructed by external forces, not being coerced, and being able to say "I don't have to do anything I don't want to do." Positive freedom means being able to control and achieve one's goals through reason, in simple terms, "doing whatever you want to do."

To achieve positive freedom, you must first have negative freedom.

If you must keep your job and cannot survive without it, then you have to follow your boss's requirements, including what clothes to wear.

If your relationship with your partner is the cornerstone of your life, and you cannot live without them, then you have to accept their interference, including what clothes to wear.

If you are still relying on your parents for support or believe that you must obey their commands without question, then you have to obediently be disciplined, including what clothes to wear.

Only when you can say to their demands, "I don't need you to control me, and I can live well without doing what you say," can you have the freedom to do as you please, including what clothes to wear. If you can say to your boss, "I quit, do whatever you want," to your partner, "I don't care about your control, let's break up," and to your parents, "I am an adult now, I can take responsibility for myself," then you can have what is called clothing freedom.

Freedom is systemic; there is no isolated freedom. You can't want one thing and not want another. So, instead of asking in a resentful manner, "Do we have clothing freedom?" it is better to ask yourself, "Am I truly independent?" May everyone be independent enough to achieve clothing freedom.