so i recently told my sister a little fashion story from when i was in the 4th grade, which kinda got me thinking, "when did the whole fashion thing start for me?"
funny enough i wasn't allowed to pick out my own clothes for school until i was about 11. my mom liked me in pretty dresses and cute leggings-tshirt-cardigan ensembles, so thats what i wore all through grades k-4th. i didn't like it much, but i will always appreciate the fact that my mom wanted me to look good. she always made sure i did. <3
anyway, here goes nothing... my style over the past 16 years:
4th grade: obsessed with the babysitters club, i find an immediate idol in claudia kishi. convinced that i would look just like her, i have my first real fashion moment when my mom lets me pick my own outfit for a field trip. floral bodysuit, hunter green tights, faded denim frayed cutoffs, and hiking boots. i'm sure there was some sort of jewelry involved, though i can't remember for sure. i died for that outfit. <3
you know, fictional or not,claudia had a style all her own and really she was quite ahead of her time. many of her ensembles could be plucked right from the pages of FRUiTS magazaine, which i guess was an early sign as to what styles i would favor as an adult.
5th grade: clueless infiltrates my brain. i attend 5th grade looking like an under-aged extra on the set in jumpers, short skirts, knee highs and little platform loafers as often as possible. an outfit i distinctly remember included a light pink sweater, a little rose print mini skirt, black platform mary janes, and white knee high socks... trust me, it was way cute.
i also went through a little gypsy-hippie phase. long sweeping skirts in floral and tribal prints, frayed short shorts, and i remember having this really trippy macrame top with bell sleeves in rainbow colors with hearts, etc... so psychedelic.
6th-8th grade: i was 12 in 1998. so i'd say that my style at this point was much the same as any other girl my age. the spice girls. delia*s. alloy. bright colors. baggy pants. shiny, sparkly, glittery, metallic-y fabric. big space-age platforms (mine were white wedged-style sneakers from sketchers; best christmas gift ever, thank you mom!). *cough* backstreet boys tshirts. *cough*
by the time 8th grade ended in 2000 the whole space-age thing kinda died down... i guess thats how it goes when you reach the "space-age" and nothing happens...
9th grade: its all about rock and roll. the outfit that stands out the most in my memory looked something like this: black cap-sleeve babydoll tshirt with goldenrod contrast stitching and a screen print of a guitar on it, tight black flared jeans with silver (yes, silver) snake print, black chunky platform lace-up loafers with a "piercing" by the laces, and (at least for the beginning of freshman year) blue streaks. it was a good year. ;3
10th grade: i got my nose pierced the summer before 10th grade and was feeling really original. not many people my age had nose piercings yet, but it became super popular soon after... meh.
around this point i started getting into "punk rock". but of course when you don't have the internet at home to learn more about something new and your only "punk rock" inspiration is hot topic..." punk rock" style consists of plaid skirts and black tank tops, any outfit containing a combo of the colors pink and black, and tough looking gunmetal-toned jewelry. i tried.
toward the end of my sophomore year avril lavigne realesed her first album. i bought it. there were many more outfits containing the above mentioned elements. oi.
age 16: to be honest, this part of my life is a bit of a blur. i dropped out of high school (hence no more using my grade as a time-frame) and started working a lot... so the fashion i was into at this point is a little fuzzy. i do remember, however, being waaaaaay into surf culture. i wanted to buy a board and attend surf school in la jolla, but it never happened. i bought a guitar instead. win.
age 17-19: again, still a little fuzzy on everything at this point in my life... but i am very clear on two style related things:
1. i got my tongue and lip pierced when i was 17.
2. i discovered real, hard, dirty, offensive-in-the-coolest-way punk rock.
which means i adopted the style of my favorite band at the time, the sex pistols... very 1970's vivienne westwood "seditionaries" era, dirty, diy punk. blacker than black shaggy hair, teased at the crown. red lipstick. ripped fishnets. cheetah print anything. safety pins everywhere. white tshirts with punk song lyrics and messages written in sharpie. a real razor blade on a chain around my neck and the subsequent little cuts on my chest where it would rest.
this was a very solitary time in my life, which seems lonely, but in reality it was kinda awesome. i dressed for nobody but myself. i hate to say i think i'm a bit weak when it comes to peer pressure, and too often i would hold back on doing or wearing certain things for fear of my friends having something to say about it. but i wasn't really around anyone at this point, therefore i dressed for me. and it made me truly, honestly happy. this was a good time.
age 20-22: this is a dark time for chi and fashion. a person cares not for fashion when they barely leave the house. not cool.
however, this was around the time that i started to research more about japanese street fashion. i really liked the whole decora thing.
age 23-now: as i pay closer attention to fashion trends and my own fashion history these days, i am realizing patterns in my personal tastes. my schizophrenic fashion fits have died down in the recent years, leaving in their wake an affinity for clean lines, japanese fashion, statement jewelry, pigtails (lol...), and an enduring love for punk rock reworked for a more grownup look. i love the thrifted look, which caters to layering and the like quite nicely of course.
a typical outfit for me these days is very relaxed, always involves jewelry, sometimes involves the above mentioned pigtails, and pretty much always involves layering. a dress over jeans, a zippered sweatshirt, chuck taylors, and a cool necklace? yes. an oversized white tshirt pushed off one shoulder, cuffed jeans, black flipflops, and lots of black jewelry (which is what i am currently wearing)? again, yes. me likey comfy. :3
so thats kinda my whole fashion history in a nutshell... guess we'll see what the next 16 years hold. i'll keep you posted. XxxX
by the time 8th grade ended in 2000 the whole space-age thing kinda died down... i guess thats how it goes when you reach the "space-age" and nothing happens...
9th grade: its all about rock and roll. the outfit that stands out the most in my memory looked something like this: black cap-sleeve babydoll tshirt with goldenrod contrast stitching and a screen print of a guitar on it, tight black flared jeans with silver (yes, silver) snake print, black chunky platform lace-up loafers with a "piercing" by the laces, and (at least for the beginning of freshman year) blue streaks. it was a good year. ;3
10th grade: i got my nose pierced the summer before 10th grade and was feeling really original. not many people my age had nose piercings yet, but it became super popular soon after... meh.
around this point i started getting into "punk rock". but of course when you don't have the internet at home to learn more about something new and your only "punk rock" inspiration is hot topic..." punk rock" style consists of plaid skirts and black tank tops, any outfit containing a combo of the colors pink and black, and tough looking gunmetal-toned jewelry. i tried.
toward the end of my sophomore year avril lavigne realesed her first album. i bought it. there were many more outfits containing the above mentioned elements. oi.
age 16: to be honest, this part of my life is a bit of a blur. i dropped out of high school (hence no more using my grade as a time-frame) and started working a lot... so the fashion i was into at this point is a little fuzzy. i do remember, however, being waaaaaay into surf culture. i wanted to buy a board and attend surf school in la jolla, but it never happened. i bought a guitar instead. win.
age 17-19: again, still a little fuzzy on everything at this point in my life... but i am very clear on two style related things:
1. i got my tongue and lip pierced when i was 17.
2. i discovered real, hard, dirty, offensive-in-the-coolest-way punk rock.
which means i adopted the style of my favorite band at the time, the sex pistols... very 1970's vivienne westwood "seditionaries" era, dirty, diy punk. blacker than black shaggy hair, teased at the crown. red lipstick. ripped fishnets. cheetah print anything. safety pins everywhere. white tshirts with punk song lyrics and messages written in sharpie. a real razor blade on a chain around my neck and the subsequent little cuts on my chest where it would rest.
this was a very solitary time in my life, which seems lonely, but in reality it was kinda awesome. i dressed for nobody but myself. i hate to say i think i'm a bit weak when it comes to peer pressure, and too often i would hold back on doing or wearing certain things for fear of my friends having something to say about it. but i wasn't really around anyone at this point, therefore i dressed for me. and it made me truly, honestly happy. this was a good time.
age 20-22: this is a dark time for chi and fashion. a person cares not for fashion when they barely leave the house. not cool.
however, this was around the time that i started to research more about japanese street fashion. i really liked the whole decora thing.
age 23-now: as i pay closer attention to fashion trends and my own fashion history these days, i am realizing patterns in my personal tastes. my schizophrenic fashion fits have died down in the recent years, leaving in their wake an affinity for clean lines, japanese fashion, statement jewelry, pigtails (lol...), and an enduring love for punk rock reworked for a more grownup look. i love the thrifted look, which caters to layering and the like quite nicely of course.
 |
| red and white heart print dress over jeans (not shown), black zippered sweatshirt, bottlecap necklace, gold and black bangles, black purse with ruffles and safety pins. pouty face bathroom pics are total win. |
so thats kinda my whole fashion history in a nutshell... guess we'll see what the next 16 years hold. i'll keep you posted. XxxX
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