There are 40 private and commercial language schools in Ontario alone, all competing in a rapidly shifting landscape.
As someone who learned to speak English after moving to Canada at age 10, and who now works in fashion education, much of my work is shaped and inspired by my immigration experience. I believe style expression, both verbal and visual, is an important subject to cover in schools, especially ESL schools, where students are in a new country and building a new identity.
Here are three important ways language schools can enhance the human element in the learning journey, encouraging self-reflection, self-direction, and self-analysis by using fashion as a tool.
1. Focusing on a curriculum that enhances creative thinking and colourful expression.
AI can make almost anything sound impressive, and translation apps can help us in an instant, but there is something on another level about a human being expressing authentic thoughts spontaneously. Their words activate something in the listener’s mind and create a meaningful connection. Connection is essential in our world because it opens the door to vibrant ideas. When our vocabulary lacks vivid expression, speaking can feel like a busy bee trying to pollinate a plastic flower. Memorizing words and phrases is one thing, but sparking curiosity and building the confidence to communicate fresh ideas is something else entirely.
Creating opportunities for students to discuss dressing choices and self-image can be incredibly therapeutic and empowering for them as they build a new identity in a new country.
2. Real World Application
When the vocabulary a student is introduced to is also useful in other areas of life, learning becomes supercharged.
A deep conversation about fashion not only builds a rich fashion vocabulary but also opens the dialogue to cover subjects such as art principles, psychology, fashion history, colour theory, colour psychology, complex feelings, visual impact, and investing in garment quality. In other words, one subject can have many applications in other areas of life, including finances, relationships, and work.
3. Stimulating the Human Visual Cortex
Fashion can be exciting. It gives us a chance to look and feel amazing simply by putting on a new piece of clothing. But fashion can also be deceiving.
Without a solid foundation of fashion knowledge — including historical context, dress codes, basic garment construction, timeless pieces, our character analysis, how natural fibers differ in performance from synthetic ones, and what sets sustainable fashion apart from fast fashion — we may keep adding new items to our wardrobe while still saying, “I have nothing to wear.”
Between 2000 and 2014, clothing purchases rose by 60%, while the average lifespan of each item fell by half. By 2024, the purchase of clothing had surged by 300% compared with 2000. This means that if we bought 10 new pieces in 2000, in 2024 we were purchasing 30, yet making way less use of them.
This statistic has huge implications for our lives. Our homes can become visually noisy when our wardrobes are filled to the brim with clothes we don’t wear. Unworn clothing takes up both our precious attention and space, affecting our peace of mind. Our visual cortex thrives on a neat, efficient closet that reflects our authenticity, helps us dress each day quickly, and earns us respect the moment we step out the door.
Understanding why and how the visual cortex gets lit up by certain fashion allows us to act with purpose rather than impulse or emotion when purchasing clothing.
Three incredible side effects of acquiring foundational fashion knowledge, whether English is your mother tongue or not.
When we know how to compose an impactful outfit and, most importantly, what it is silently saying on our behalf, we can feel confident and impactful. In new-age speak, we become better “manifestors”.
2. The clothing we don’t end up wearing costs money- good money that could have gone towards something better, like investing in appreciating assets or padding out our savings.
3. An organized closet makes it easier to get dressed each day, and a clear sense of how we want to present ourselves to the outside world helps us create a lasting impression, earn respect, and advance faster in our careers.
I believe every educational institution facing an uncertain future in student retention could benefit from including fashion education as part of its curriculum. Opening a space for students to share original ideas and to self-reflect on their wardrobe can create not only human connections that last a lifetime, but also a deep relationship to the inner self.
At Jewel Branding Studios, we curate unique group experiences that teach the practical value and true beauty of fashion while also creating space for growth and a sense of well-being.