Illustrations by Charlotte Derou

You always hear about how the clothes you wear reflect your personality. But what if the clothing you wear could actually leave a lasting impression? What if what you wore could be a starting point for someone seeking help?

Caitlin Ayling, a 20-year old entrepreneur, watched her family and friend’s mental health deteriorate during lockdown this year. She was so impacted by watching the way loneliness and separation could affect someone that, in a spur-of-the-moment decision, she created an online society dedicated to encouraging lifesaving conversations.

Since then, The 3:17 Society has become a space of empowerment for those struggling with their mental health. Wanting to spread her message further into the community, Caitlin created hoodies printed with the phrase, “Your mental health is nothing to be ashamed of, neither is talking about it”.

“I lost a friend last year to suicide and he passed away at 3:17 in the morning, so that’s where that time-stamp came from”

Caitlin Ayling

The ‘3:17’ timestamp means a lot to Caitlin, serving as a reminder of why spreading mental health awareness is so important. “I lost a friend last year to suicide and he passed away at 3:17 in the morning, so that’s where that time-stamp came from” she explains. With five dollars from each hoodie sold going directly to the organisation Headspace, Caitlin says the purpose of the hoodies is to create conversation and spread mental health awareness.

Laughing, Caitlin shares a time when wearing her hoodie encouraged strangers to come up to her and ask what it said: “I wear mine to the gym in the mornings … at 5 o’clock in the morning, no one talks to each other at that point. And one morning I had three people come up and read what it said. That’s the whole purpose of it, to be a conversation starter.”

According to the Black Dog Institute, every day six Australians will die from suicide and a further thirty people will attempt to take their own life. One in seven people will experience depression in their lifetime, which is the third-highest burden of all diseases in Australia.

Dylan Matheson is a friend of Caitlin’s who watched her build The 3:17 Society overnight. Having suffered from depression and anxiety, Dylan knew instantly that this was something he felt he needed to be a part of. “Mental health is a big part of who I am now and the last thing I want to see is people going through what I did. So, anybody doing something to try and fix or change mental health I’ll be a big supporter of,” Dylan explains.

Since purchasing the hoodie, Dylan has received a lot of attention from his friends and believes it’s a great way to spread mental health awareness.  “The hardest thing about going through depression and anxiety is that your brain just turns on you and it’s really hard to think about the positives that you have in your life.”

“I’ve certainly had friends that have seen me wear the jumper, ask about it and ask me where it’s from … as simple as it is, a jumper with the words ‘mental health is nothing to be ashamed of’ may start the conversation and raise a bit more awareness,” he says.

The 3:17 Society hoodies have also helped change the way mental health is talked about in other people’s relationships. Zoe Nickson decided to purchase a hoodie as a way to support her friend who was journeying through her own mental health illness. “I only purchased it because we’ve always had these conversations with her about her mental health and so I was literally getting this jumper specifically for her. She ended up buying one as well,” Zoe explains.

Zoe also believes the hoodie is an influential tool in starting conversations and helping others. “When I read [the hoodie] I thought, ‘man do you know how many people’s lives could change by reading that in a shopping centre or something? I think it’s so important … you never know what kind of impact it will have on that person, you never know, you could be preventing a person from ending their life,” she says.

Read more about 3:17 Society at their website

Or follow them on Instagram

If you or someone you know needs help contact Lifeline 13 11 14

Visit Lifeline for more information on how you can help yourself and others in times of mental and emotional distress.

Hi gorgeous, you’ve called 1800-comfort wear. How may we assist you in finding the ultimate tracksuit set?

Oh, you’re tired of putting on your old trackie dacks and hoodie? Not a problem; we’ve got you covered. Welcome to your go-to-guide for a lockdown loungewear look.  

Let’s be real, coronavirus has made most of us wake up every morning in a bit of a rut. Riding alongside us, through what seems like an endless dismal voyage, is our loyal companion: comfort wear. When getting dressed for another day of uncertainty feels like an impossible feat, it’s there to give us that ‘warm hug’ feeling of security we’ve all been craving.

Globally, tracksuits have become street style staples

You could say us Aussies know how to rock the classic trackies, hoodies and thongs or even a pair of cosy Ugg boots – it’s basically our national uniform. Some of us wear it with pride, while others consider the iconic look straight-up bogan. Kathleen Horton, a senior fashion lecturer at the Queensland University of Technology, explains “with tracksuits, there are class and race to think about as it’s part of Black fashion history and the influence of… hip hop culture in the 1980s and 1990s… whereas, the history of loungewear…[has] always related to luxury”. Globally, tracksuits have become street style staples, with high-end fashion brands such as Gucci and Vetements adding tracksuits to their ready-to-wear collections. It’s this alignment between high and low-end style that’s sparked a global trend.

Hello coronavirus and welcome lockdowns, working from home, and zoom calls with ‘above-keyboard’ dressing; cue the comfort wear explosion. With the home becoming a multipurpose space for many consumers, fashion industry trend analyst, WGSN, states “working from home is impacting…traditional career-wear…with [consumers needing] options that are versatile enough to take wearers from the computer screen to the sofa or the store”. With that, almost every fashion label has offered some version of comfort wear as the market transformed into a frenzy of monochrome, and tie-dye tracksuits and sets. Kathleen adds, “[brands] didn’t know what else to do”.

However, Daniella Dionyssiou, co-founder of the e-commerce brand Verge Girl, states “it was more of a creative move” when they introduced the ‘VRG GRL Beverly Hills Tracksuit Sets’ to their store. She says “we decided to design what we were all wanting to wear”.

Daniella explains “[the trend] was born out of necessity. Brands needed to sell clothes and they needed to create looks that people wanted to buy when they were not going out”.

So now, let’s get into what you’re here for; your go-to-guide for the must-have tracksuit brands that’ll rock each and every one of your worlds.

First off the ranks, for our loud and colourful queens, we gift you, Local Heroes. Whether you’re into tie-dye, vibrant monochromes and graphics or monogram prints, this Polish brand is your one-stop-shop!

Next is for our sporty, streetwear chicks who love a good sneaker and gold chain. For you, we recommend mega sportswear brand Adidas. These guys may have been around forever, but they have some seriously cool street style sets that’ll have you clicking checkout faster than Netflix’s ‘next episode’ timer.

Calling all our trendsetters who can’t help but copy their favourite celebs and influencers; we’ve found the perfect shop for you – Temptation Vacation 1994. If you’re into the crisp, off-white American university sweater aesthetic paired with a 1980s vacay, cosmopolitan-in-hand vibe, then this is the brand for you.

But we can’t dismiss our empowered and passionate planet warriors who live and breathe sustainability, driving the future of the fashion industry. At long last, Pangaia has arrived, with every vibrant colour and neutral tone tracksuit you can think of.

Our professional working girls, how could we forget you? We know you all love a neutral, minimalist aesthetic, so we’ve found Lunya. While still rocking the tracksuit look, Lunya has created washable silk pants with wide-leg ties and relaxed sweatshirts to ensure you’re still meeting a work attire dress code for Zoom calls from the comfort of your couch.

At last, we thank you for calling us and hope that you’ve fallen completely in love with comfort wear.