My style has changed a lot over the years, and I know that a lot of yours probably have, too. All of us have started with being dressed by our mothers, who tried to find outfits that would match our siblings or whatever they thought was cute.
Like most little kids, I never really cared about what I wore, but I guess I would describe my 5-year-old style as tom-boyish. I would shop at Children’s Place, Justice, Limited Too, and Mudd—who didn’t? However, as I got older, I started to love buying and composing my own outfits. I wanted to be cool and stylish, so I thought shopping at Abercrombie, Hollister, Aeropostale, and Pink would help me be that cool girl in school. Honestly, though, my 7th and 8th grade self was a mess when it came down to fashion.
The truth is, I first started to shop at places like Aeropostale because I wanted to fit in with the kids around me. But because the only thing I bought from Aeropostale were t-shirts, I was decidedly lacking what everyone else thought of as “style.” Later, as I got into other kinds of very teenage clothing, Abercrombie became my lifestyle. The smell of the stores and the longing of one day becoming a model made me love the image around Abercrombie and Fitch. Not only did I get pulled in by Abercrombie and Fitch, but also by Pink. I was at a point in my life where everyone was wearing yoga pants, so I bought about a thousands pairs of yoga pants from Pink. It was a new turning point for me… until I realized these yoga pants were over priced.
Looking back at my style choices, I feel like I was a mix between preppy and “sporty.” But what I’ve also come to realize is that my style then no longer matches who I am today. Therefore, it is weird to think how a person’s style changes and grow with them as they become older. Over the years, my style is more down to thrifting, Pacsun, Lulus, Akira, and many more. I have a more hipster/ preppy approach to my style.
Every year that I am getting older, I wonder: what should my style be? Should I let new trends, family, work, or school influence who I am? I’ve come to the conclusion that, no, I should not. Yes, I know that saying my style describe me is questionable, but it literally does. Like most people, I wear outfits that makes me feel confident and powerful. I truly believe that when you are wearing clothing you should not be afraid of what you are wearing. And yes, I do feel outside pressures at times to be dressed a certain way.
Ultimately, I have to ask myself the question: should I follow societal rules? Obviously, some believe that I need to shop at certain stores catered to my age group. However, people should be able to wear what they please without being in a specific age group. People should be able to choose wear whatever they want. Styling yourself should be the way you would want to represent yourself and not for pleasing other people. I’m proud to be who I am, and I’m proud to show myself through my fashion choices.
Image credits: Katie Zervas