She wore it on her cape. Would you?

A lot of us are familiar with the idiom of “wearing our heart on our sleeve” – a description used to describe the habit of sharing one’s emotions in an open and vulnerable way. It’s not for everyone: for some of us it is the only way we know how to engage emotionally, and others of us feel it is an uncomfortable expectation to let our emotions all hang out.

But what about wearing our personal values on our capes? 

That’s what I have been thinking about recently after I saw Natalie Portman’s red carpet outfit during this year’s Oscars.  For those who don’t follow these types of things (and to be honest, I mostly follow them because I have a fashion-focused daughter), Portman’s Dior-designed outfit included a cape that featured the names of eight women embroidered in gold. But not just any names – they were Lulu Wang, Marielle Heller, Lorene Scafaria, Melina Matsoukas, Alma Har’el, Céline Sciamma, Mati Diop, and Greta Gerwig – all exceptionally talented women film directors of major motion films who were not nominated for an Academy Award this year.

When asked what statement she was making by having these women’s names on her cape, Portman said:

“I wanted to recognize the women who were not recognized for their incredible work this year, in my subtle way.”

Mission accomplished.

While some of you might roll your eyes at this as another case of celebrity pseudo-activism, there is no question that Portman’s gesture achieved its intended purpose. The media wrote articles about Portman’s dress and cape which, as a result, shed more light on the Award snubs, and helped contribute to an awareness about the unequal treatment of women directors in Hollywood. She may not be a superhero by doing this simple gesture of activism (although she has been in superhero movies), but in this case Portman did use her proverbial powers by wearing a cape and using fashion to fly into the storm of an important debate about how the film industry recognizes women talent.

So if Natalie Portman can wear a cape that shares a message to the world, what words would you put on your cape?

Would it be words that remind you who you are? Or would it be words that inspire others? Maybe they would be words that create awareness of an issue, or call out an injustice? Or perhaps just an image or photo that is meaningful to you and gives you a sense of security?

My words would be family, purpose, knowledge, wonder, and optimism.

What would yours be?

Whether or not you think of yourself as a wonder woman, a super man, or any kind of caped crusader, take a minute to think about what words you might embroider into your capes, your clothes and your life. Even if they are subtle, those words will be a powerful reminder of who you are and what you stand for.

Your proverbial cape might not help you leap over a building in a single-bound, but it might just help you become a bit more bullet-proof to the challenges that surround you. 

And who knows, it might even help you fly…   at least into your future.