I think I should perhaps talk about why I am doing what I'm doing. Mainly, sharing photos (repeatedly!) of myself and talking of clothes and such. I'm no fashion expert, that much is probably obvious. I do read fashion publications and blogs and have surprisingly found myself keeping up my knowledge on trends and styles rather well. But at the same time, it's not my life. Rather, diverting my entire income, wardrobe, and lifestyle to seasonal updates is not my goal. If you have the income and taste to be able to do that, more power to you. I personally have other things in life I'm striving for. That's not to say that style, or even the more common idea of a love dressing well, isn't something I'm not interested in. I enjoy it very much. I should probably give more of my history before I keep yammering in a circular manner though.
I was the hugest tomboy growing up. I still am in a manner. Reptiles, bugs, mud, dirt, climbing trees, hanging off cliffs, exploring unknown paths, wandering through forests and tramping through brambles, getting caught in all manner of prickly weeds and briars - that was my childhood. A childhood of absolute fearlessness and wild abandon. Nothing was off-limits and everything was to be explored. As I grew older, I stuck to my wilderness mantra, the one where I didn't care what I looked like and didn't care what people thought. I loved dressing in boys clothes for the layer of toughness I envisioned it gave me, like armor in a shallow world. I suppose that was the beginning of the realization of the transforming power of clothes, but I didn't think about that then. All I knew was that girls were looked upon as weak and feminine and I was determined to always be tough and I truly believed I could punch my way out of anything.
I put my hair up for the first time when I was 14. Intentionally and with purpose. That was a major marker in my outward visual life. I styled my hair differently, at the ripe old age of 14, an age where most girls have already experimented with clothes and looks and makeup, their tastes burgeoning on the cusp of womanhood.
I grew older, in spurts and burst and fallbacks, all common in that
strange time from child to something more, and my mentality evolved as
well. I did go to a rather strict private school where uniforms were
required, and that killed my creativity a bit, but eventually I realized
that skirts COULD look good, unlike the ones I was forced to wear and
loathed as a result. You can thank thriftstores for that realization. As
soon as the dim thought finally trickled into the hearth of awareness of
appearance, that clothes = art, the fertile banks of my imagination and
creativity burst forth and has grown ever since.
It has taken me a lot of trial and error to build a wardrobe I enjoy. I
do have rules for myself and think they are applicable for others. I've
even helped quite a few friends buy clothes they enjoy to wear AND look
good in. I'll talk about that all in another post though. For now, I am
just trying to explain where I've come from aesthetically. I started
this blog as a creative outlet and simply enjoy talking about the
details, preferences, colors, and clothes that I don't really get a
chance to discuss in real life. It's simply fun. I hope that sense of
fun carries over in what I post and write, while still being true to my
aesthetic sensibilities. As a highly independent and stubborn
individual, I promise that to the best of my knowledge, it won't be
anything else.
So this isn't a fashion blog. Nor can I really say it's strictly a "style" blog. Whatever that means. What I can say though, that it is MY blog. And as long as I am having fun and pushing my creative boundaries, I will continue it. It's really for me, forgive me dear reader. As I've said before, I'm a selfish blogger. I am not sorry. But I still hope you will continue to follow my adventures. I think they aren't too bad.
Shirt, skirt, necklace - thrifted
Earrings - World Market
<3
The Magpie
