Lets take a moment to think about clothes not simply as material possessions or things we wear, but as actual life choices we make during various stages of our life. In many ways it is a relationship. Your style is never stagnant but a growing process of finding where you belong and who you are. As your life changes, your preferences and views will change. Fashion is the subconscious language of how we relate to the world on an artistic level.
The following are 3 Ways Fashion is Like Picking Your Friends.
1.) Comfort Zone.
We all have that level of "comfort" found in people that are quite similar to the way we think and live. This we know, but believe it or not we take a similar process when picking the clothes we choose to dress ourselves.
It is a mutual understanding of "safety" and reliability. This is where we feel safe, but with consequence, it does hinder your abilities to step out of the box. Such safety nets can cause barriers on your ability to try or find something new about yourself.
Ever since we are kids, there is a genre or stereotype that we are casted in or perhaps cast ourselves as. Quite a select style, this is where we feel comfortable and it becomes habit. Shopping in the same stores, and gravitating to the usual brands, taking risk is nearly impossible. You see yourself as one way, and brand yourself as such. You are clones of your clique, and thinking has now become routine. So safely in your perfect outfit, but so dangerously suffocating in your narrow mindset.
Take a second to step away from who you think you are, and let yourself expand to the person you are meant to be.
2.) Friend or Foe?
Fashion like relationships is a love hate relationship. It's funny how at certain moments of your life, week, or day, you may love a certain look and think it is a good idea. Then, you awake from your momentary loss of sanity and realize, you are not friends at all. In fact, the fashion piece you thought you loved, is making you look like an idiot. We all have those ridiculous items in our closet that can only be marked by a "What was I thinking?" moment. However, just the same, it is one of those unavoidable experiences that serve only as a lesson learned.
3.) Time Changes Things.
As I look back on my fashion history, and the evolution it has made, I find it interesting how I can distinguish specific segments in my style, and how it connected to my life experiences. It's like the friends you have as a kid, and the friends you have as adults are in many ways different, but innately similar. There is always a small core line of identity that does not completely, ever change.
For example, growing up as the youngest girl of two boys, I was quite a tomboy during my teens. I loved soccer, swimming, tennis, etc. and my style represented that. Living by the ocean, my style was casual,relaxed, and easy. Then I moved to NYC, and my entire style shifted to all black and white, linear lines, and contemporary styles. When I moved to Germany, I wore bold bright colors, and took a rather artistic approach to my style. Near France and Belgium, my style became ultra feminine and more floral and and abundance of pastel.
Throughout all my changes in life and fashion, there has always been a formula or style DNA that never seems to change. This has taught me how we are capable of adopting many styles and genres throughout a lifetime, but the one's that stick are the one's closest to our genetic code. Just like friends, the memory and experiences spent with those people are never wasted, or forgotten. They shape the person you are today, just as your fashion choices in the past, shape your styling abilities of today.
With that said, don't be afraid to take chances, and try something scary and new. Open your eyes to what could be, and take a breather from what you know. Mistakes are lessons to be learned, and without them you learn little. Trial and error is all part of the process in discovering who you are.
Take care,
xo,
Maya
