A friend once told me that your room reflects the state of your mind, and this is something that I am reminded of anytime my room is in disarray, with journals strewn across my desk and blankets piled in a bunch on my bed. Recently, when I reset my space, I’ve noticed how different aspects of my room tell a different story about me. The stylistic choices I’ve made depict features of my personality and my journey in discovering my style.
Our inner spaces can mirror the aesthetic approach we take in relation to our personal styles. We want our rooms to be safe spaces, ones that feel familiar to us. The posters we hang of the artists we love, or the lights we hang that illuminate our rooms create a sense of comfort because we feel recognized in these features that showcase our interests, dreams and memories.
Together, our clothing and inner spaces are connected by this constantly evolving style, reflecting our self expression and our sense of comfort. And the really great thing about style is that it is dynamic. We may find ourselves trying on a bold new jacket or wearing a pair of whimsical earrings to see how we fit into that particular fashion moment. Similarly, our rooms can change as our comfort toward a particular stylistic choice shifts, showcasing our internal growth. Our clothes display this growth to the world around us.
In connection, elements of my childhood room reflect the ways in which my style has been shaped over the years. If you look closely, you’ll find a butterfly pattern on the bedsheet and a colorful assortment of books on the shelves. This butterfly pattern and the bright colors are still present in how I pair an outfit with butterfly earrings or try on a new colorful sweater, depicting the whimsy and joy I love incorporating into my outfits.
When I look around my room on campus, I can also see how specific kinds of objects connect to the clothes or accessories I choose to wear. For example, a poster of Laufey hangs above my drawer. I discovered Laufey’s aesthetic about a year ago, and her style has inspired me in the recent choices I make in putting together outfits. If you take a look into my closet, you’ll find an array of Laufeycore-inspired outfits coupled with my own style, such as soft sweaters with a never-ending collection of jeans.
Overall, objects and pictures can mirror a choice you make in what you wear. And these choices also create a story. A cozy sweater may remind you of a concert you attended with a friend and similarly, a cozy blanket may remind you of the comfort that same friend brings you whenever you both watch a movie together. Your room becomes a memory box that collects pieces of who you are just like how certain clothes hold a particular memory of your life. Seasons of life are always in motion, and both our spaces and style can tell us us which season we find ourselves in.