Dress: Me Made
Sweater: Thrifted
Belt: Sisters :)
Shoes: Sperry's
Socks: Old Navy
Broach: Vintage
Watch: Sam Moon
***Pictures By Me***
As much as I like to be my own unique self and person, uninfluenced by the opinion of others around me, I feel that I have fallen away from being true to myself. I remember the days when I first discovered my love for vintage and embraced that new found love with a burning passion of dressing from centuries gone by. As I look back on pictures from years past I have see how my fashion has evolved and devolved, but also how I seem to have lost a part of myself over the fear of others opinions. That seems strange even to say or admit, but as I look at how my style has changed and slowly downgraded from the period perfect love that I once had for vintage eras, the only conclusion I can bring forth is that somewhere deep inside I still base what I wear on others opinions of me.
It is hard to accept that those fears are what have lead me to fall away from what my style used to be, but I have to accept them as partially true. While style in and of itself is singular to each person and changes along with us as we enter and exit different seasons of our life, I can't help feeling like something is missing when I look in the mirror and try to pick an outfit. I am missing that vibrant passion for vintage style and embracing it for all that it is without worrying about what others say or think! Why have those fears kept me from wearing the things that I used to?
As I look through pictures of other vintage styled souls, I can't help but see my old self in their style. Their style that is so self confident and proud.....not caring what others think because they know they are unique and one of a kind!
Maybe it is that I love fashion itself so much that my style have slowly formed around a look that embraces so many different types of "looks" that my wardrobe is a vast array of past loves, losses, and new discoveries? I dabble in different eras. I try different styles I see people wearing. I mimic current trends that catch my eye, and in the midst of it I am constantly changing. My style is not always stable. Some days I might look like a confident red lipped lady from the 1940's. Some days a swinging skirt donning 50's girl. And other days I might look like a classic version of a modern lady. It is unpredictable (at times), and yet I always find myself going back to my old love. While at times I change out of a period appropriate piece from a past decade due to an unnecessary uncertainty in the back of my mind in regards to others, some days I pull that period appropriate piece out of the rubble and put it back on knowing that it is time for me to find myself again....to embrace who I am and confidently go out and conquer the world.
My old love will always be my first love, and no matter how many times I fall away from it, I will always find myself back where I stood years ago with victory rolls, hair scarves, t strap shoes, pink tights, and clotch hats, walking through the doors of a public university and not caring what people thought of me, because I knew who I was. I was unique. I was one of a kind, and no one could change that. No one could steal that away from me and make me into someone else.
They say that some people hide behind their clothes, but to me, my clothes are what helped me to step out and be seen. Be seen not as the shy and quiet girl who hardly talked to anyone, who only speaks when spoken to, but as the girl who knows who she is and isn't afraid to show it. To be bold and loud without ever opening my mouth. A girl who embraces her uniqueness and hopefully inspires others to do the same.
Really, when you get to the heart of the matter, its all about staying true to yourself. Sure, there might be other lovely things and styles that catch your eye but there is only ONE you. Thus, in order to be fully you....to be confident as you, you have to embrace the style that calls your name. The style that makes you giddy with excitement every time you wear that dress or see pictures of others who share your same style. Your first love will always be what you come back to. So try as you might, even when you loose your way, you will always find a way back.
Do you ever lose sight of who you are?
Does you style change or stay the same?
What is your "first love" style?
-Madison
