Aug 2, 2011
Is it better for your style to stay consistent or change over time?
I spent some time over the weekend cleaning through tubs of storage in my basement. I’m a bit of a pack rat, so I had way too much stuff saved over the years, most of it tchotchkes, scrapbooks and other mementos–including photos from my ’80s youth.
The photos above are from 1987 and 1988, around the time of my senior year in high school. Pretty stylin’, huh? :)
Looking at these old photos made me think about the ways my personal style has changed over time. And the ways it’s stayed somewhat consistent.
What’s consistent: My color preferences. That’s a lot of black and white up there. My attempts to integrate more colors to the contrary, my current closet’s range of hues isn’t a whole lot different.
What’s changed: My clothing silhouette. Back in high school I was really thin. Like, shopping at the 5-7-9 store thin. For reasons that make no sense to me now, I was self-conscious about this and wore baggy clothing to conceal my body. (I know, I know! Yet another reason you should love the body you’re in; if not now, when?)
Today I don’t have the problem of feeling too thin! Yet I’m much more comfortable wearing more body-conscious pieces that fit and flatter the shape I’m in now. I’ve learned that baggy never works to make big look smaller or smaller look big; it just makes everyone shapeless.
As much as I feel I have developed a strong sense of personal style over these years, I also know–and hope–that my evolution hasn’t ended. I wonder what I’ll notice when I look back on today’s personal style in 20 or 25 years?
- How has your style evolved over time?
- What has stayed the same and what has changed?
- Do you think style should change over time or do you think it should stay consistent?
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Haha, I forgot about 5-7-9! We used to get our Valentine Dance dresses there in junior high school……in fact, I think I’ve still got a polyester polka dot dress hiding in my closet from that store!
Whatever happened to them? Once upon a time, I shopped there because I needed a size 0. A zero! I don’t even remember being that girl any more. Now I shop at 6-8-10 ;)
My style definitely evolved over time. However, i have to consider that I am only 20 now, so that is pretty natural. And good, otherwise I’d still be wearing all over orange… But I’m pretty sure my style will change again, especially once I start a “real” job and have to dress for that…
I think that’s part of the fun of “growing up”–getting to play around with your style over time. The trick is finding a core of what works best on you and then adapting around the edges so you aren’t throwing everything out every few years.