Thursday, January 24, 2008

Writer's Block: Personal Style

Last night, my husband booked our Valentine's Day date. Well, it's actually going to be on the 15th, but considering VD day is on a Thursday this year, we figure we're good. But what this means is that I have to delve into a part of my closet I don't see very often. It's my narrow section of wedding/reception/nice restaurant/my mother-in-law wants me to impress someone clothes. Every year, that section gets a little bit smaller.

Years ago, I had a personal style. I was quirky. I owned a single pair of jeans. I shopped at thrift stores, mixed and matched to find things that epitomized my creative spirit. I owned a lot of hats, and at one point, my favorite item of clothing was a pair of harem pants I begged my grandmother to make for me when I found this creamy, satin-like fabric with dark blue rocking horses on it. Trust me. It's not as weird as it sounds, lol.

When I entered the professional world, I had to start toning things down. I worked in offices where there were certain dress codes. So I adapted. I tossed my funkier items and started doing this retro-40's suit thing that worked great for my figure.

Change came again when I moved overseas to get married. It wasn't that I couldn't take my clothes with me. No, the truth was, a month after exchanging vows, I got pregnant. All of a sudden, I had to deal with maternity clothes - yuck - and comfortable clothes that didn't require a lot of time or attention because I didn't have those anymore. It wasn't worth it to have fun, cute clothes, only to have them get stained with baby spit. So out those went, too.

My kids are in elementary school now, but a lifestyle as a stay-at-home mom doesn't really leave me a lot of room for tons of individualism. I still stick with vibrant colors if I can, and truth be told, I will always look at prints before I look at a solid fabric. But you know, maybe it's time for me to start breaking out of the mold again. I don't have to go back completely to the way things used to be, but nothing says I can't start adding individual pieces back into my wardrobe. Maybe by the time I'm white-haired and living it large in Florida, I'll be back to that bohemian thing I had going at 20. My husband will love that.

What's your personal style?

4 comments:

Marita said...

Funny I was talking about just this topic with my sister in law today. She always wears plain single colour t-shirts with a v-neck. At Christmas time she got money to buy new clothes. She got herself a collection of plain, single colour singlet tops with a v-neck.

My wardrobe is mostly black t-shirts with printed message and blue jeans. I love my "Cylon Sympathizer" shirt that I got from Cafe Press and my "Rated R Superstar" WWE shirt. Sometimes I wonder what the other mums think of me at Pre-School. Don't care enough about their opinions to change my style though.

Vivien Dean said...

There's a mom at my kids school I just adore, because she's the bravest mom I know. She's an ex-rocker chick, and she still has her long blonde dreads. But she's one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen in real life, and she's got this Barbie doll figure I hated her for until I met her and realized what a sweetheart she is, lol. But every day, she comes to pick up her girls in something funky and individual. Sometimes I wish I could grow up to be her, lol.

Cathy M said...

I have been a stay-at-home mom for so long, that all I wear is comfy/casual clothes, and am kind of in a rut. My wardrobe and me, could really use a makeover.

Vivien Dean said...

Cathy, it's hard, isn't it? When I go out clothes shopping, my practical side keeps kicking in. "Does it really matter how cute it is? Will you actually wear that? What else could you get for the same money that you would wear?"

It makes it very tough to do things differently.