A New Look into Personal Fashion
Twelve year old me in a stunning floral print dress + leggings look.
This past week, I looked at photos of myself from when I was twelve or thirteen years old. Cat eye glasses, short curly hair, mismatching tops and bottoms were staples in my look. I think back then I really only cared about comfort and whatever colors seemed to match (90% of the time they didn’t). Photos of myself from highschool showed the era of tiny American Eagle shorts and tank tops. I wanted to be “sexy” and feminine like the senior girls looked. I also had a somewhat preppy phase as well, with Sperrys, khakis, and polo shirts making the scene (the ultimate frat boy look). When I studied abroad in Copenhagen the summer after my first year of college, I was inspired by the tall Danish blondes that strutted the streets in blazers and sophisticated silhouettes. I made it a mission to branch out of my leggings and sweatshirt phase. Over the first wave of quarantine, however, was when I really started diving into what “personal fashion” meant to me. Like millions of other people, fashion is a way for me to express myself, to be creative in ways other than a paintbrush. TikTok was a source for me to find new stores, new outfit combos, new everything. I found myself experimenting with what colors, shapes, and textures I wanted to wear and embody. I had a blast trying on clothes I wouldn’t have worn years ago, making questionable outfits that I strutted in confidence. My own closet was a place for experimentation, draining my bank account but not my love for finding new outfits.
Overtime though, I grew tired. The hundreds of TikTok clothing trends I saw became overdone and unsustainable. I became bored of the clothes I was wearing, overwhelmed from trying to keep up with new trends. My way of personal expression grew increasingly burdensome rather than a place for exploration. I just wanted a nice matching sweatpants + top. Neutrals, earth tones, whatever allowed me to pull anything from my closet and still look somewhat put together was how I approached each day. Why should I even bother looking at new clothing trends? They die so fast anyway. I had better things to worry about.
Still, I would look at people on the street who rocked their outfit choices and ways of expression, in a bit of jealousy. Pinterest and Instagram were still sources of clothing inspiration. But as we live in the age where fast fashion and luxury brands dominate the global industry, I find myself trying not to be so overwhelmed by the latest trend, the newest viral top, the trendiest blah blah blah. I think now, I am choosing to wear just what I like. Keeping up with experimenting and the latest fashion is exhausting, but putting myself in autopilot and just throwing on clothes that somewhat match was boring. It paralleled the way I was feeling: first excitement, exhaustion, and complacency. And now, I want to be content. For me, I love the middle ground where I can experiment but still have my “go-to” clothing pieces that I can depend on. Am I still going to look at social media for inspiration and make my own opinions on the newest trends? Absolutely. Am I going to keep trying out to color combinations and aesthetics? Yes, because that’s fun for me. That’s what fashion is about - being able to critique and make your own twist on whatever inspiration you see. I think that personal fashion is important because it sets the stage for what you want others to see about yourself. Lately for me, it’s all been about loafers and cool shorts. I think next, I want to experiment with my accessories, like hair or jewelry.
Everyone has their own way of self expression through clothes. Even those who think they don’t express themselves through clothes or hate fashion, they still choose to wear certain pieces over others everyday. I think clothing and fashion can be a great way to embody identity and confidence. I’m hoping that the next wave of “clothing trends” is really to just wear what you want. Personal fashion is personal. Unique because it is you. The emphasis on trying to keep up with trends is unsustainable. But your self expression never will be.
