Style

"Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak"

- Rachel Zoe

 

 One of my girlfriends came over for tea the other day, and and we started chatting about a topic that has been on my mind for awhile. I was cleaning out my closet when she popped by, so I invited her into my room while I finished folding and organizing. I showed her some of the skirts that I used to wear in University and lamented about the fact that I no longer had the guts to wear them. I was not ready to toss them, as they represent a very special time in my life, but I also don't feel as though they represent me any more. I knew my friend would understand since she used to have dreads,  drove a VW van, wore tunics, and smoke an old fashioned pipe. (She is such a cool chick)!

 

 When I was younger I was not as concerned about how people viewed me. Now that I am older, I care about how I am perceived, and I wish that I didn't.  While I love wearing high heels I often worry that people will write me off as vain, shallow and "high maintenance".  Conversely,  if  I wore one of my colorful flowing skirts, which have not seen the light of day in ages, I would worry that people would write me off as some new age freak. Furthermore, I have no interest in wearing jogging pants or workout gear any where other than in bed or at the gym

 

In elementary school I wore whatever my mother bought me. I do, however remember trying to coordinate my socks with my scrunchy. I cring even as I type the word "scrunchy". In high school I insisted on wearing whatever irked my classmates. That meant  wide legged polyester pants, army attire, socks pulled up to my knees, and vintage shirts. I was obviously, much more bold in my clothing choices than I am now. In my first year of University I wore long colorful skirts, lots of scarves, and my roommates cast-offs. I was also growing out a pixie cut that looked rather ... um ... messy. I shopped primarily at thrift stores, and wasn't overly concerned about my appearance. In my second year, I started working as a recruiter for a publishing company, and started to dress more professionally. I bought my first suit, learned how to apply make-up and embraced high heels. When I entered the work field after graduating, I worked with battered women and children and began wearing jeans and  T shirts. Years later, when my hubby and I traveled the world, I once again, embraced my inner "hippie", and wore whatever my heart desired. Now I am a mother, and I have reverted back to jeans and t shirts. Why? Well they are the easiest things to clean and my life is MESSY!

 

So this is where my dilemma begins...... what is my style now and how do I define and it? I wear gumboots, but I also wear pearls. I adore wearing high heels but I am also comfortable being bare foot the majority of the time. I tend to go au natural most days but I also love to wear mascara and lipstick. I typically love earthy reds, oranges, browns and greens but I also adore lace, sequins, tailored blazers, pencil skirts and shades of grey. I have always been attracted to  "granola" type people with dreads, who keep organic gardens, don't wear a shred of make-up, and whose unruly hair is  a mass of curls or dreads. I see them as confident, unhindered, natural, self aware, free spirited souls. At the same time I admire a classy woman who knows how to apply liquid liner with an expert hand, and who can pull off the latest tends with ease.

 Lately, I feel as as though the "hippie" part of me has gone into hibernation and has been replaced with someone who has become far too comfortable with shades of black and grey. How boring!

 

Ultimately,I feel like I am have become a mixture of those two "types", if you could call them that. So, I have been asking myself, how can I blend my two loves into something that is fun, but also practical  as a busy mom.

Right now the "Navajo" style really appeals to me.  It includes all my favorite items.....  bright colors, blazers,turquoise, lace, tribal prints, ponchos, and has that touch of modernity to makes it current. In case the term Navajo style is lost on you, I have included a few illustrations gathered from google images.

 

 

The other day I picked up a great jacket, similar to the one is the middle photo, and I wore it for the first time today. Hurray for a little color in my life!!!!!