Notes on Personal Style
Fashion, I'm sorry to say, is on the outs. Don't read too far in the wrong direction - designers, and their ability to connect with desire, develop through fantasy, and create an image previously unimagined are essential (as all great art is) to the human psyche. But with a global recession upon us and many becoming (finally, belatedly) concerned with consumption, tastes are turning inwards.
Maybe it was Covid, when we were forced inside and realized how much shit we had (and didn't need) in the absence of true necessities, like hugs, and holidays, and toilet paper. Maybe all that time alone helped us remember you truly cannot buy happiness. Something I never want to forget, something quietly magical that happened during quarantine, was after we had to submit to the masks and the shutdown, the distancing and the missed connections... if you were paying attention, there was a mutual recognition - compassionate glances at the grocery store, allowing others to go first, taking our time, enjoying conversation with a stranger - we were in this together! And not only me and my next of kin, but you and me and the whole entire World - we were all going through it at the same time. Paradoxically unique and individual was each of our suffering, but humanity was leveled and there was a tenderness shared that I hope we will never forget.
Whatever the lesson (there must be one; or several, in major traumas such as these), fashion took a hit. And like many of us, she's emerged quiet at first (athleisure, sneaks with dress if you fancy) blooming into FULL-ON broke OUT of the HOUSE prints! and POPS! of COLOR! The expressions have been thrilling, a reflection of our shared excitement to GET BACK to IT! I'm no economist (can barely find palatable news), but one of the biggest trends among designers and retail spaces has been SUSTAINABLE practices, materials, and garments. Vintage and reselling are on the RISE. My new silver fox coat? Adopt, don't shop! Even Prada debuted a bespoke vintage leather jacket.
I have this conversation with potential clients so often... there's a deep misunderstanding that Fashion = style, and some are very afraid. Unlike Fashion (which is an important component; always changing, as we are), style takes self-awareness and purpose and discernment and time. Even at a distance, style is there, communicating about who we are and where we're going in this wild, wild World. So while Fashion may change with our circumstances and preferences (its mystique often rooted in exclusivity), style is the cultivation of an image that is uniquely our own, an expression of our highest selves. Style begins in our closets, some items ready to be worn, repaired, or re-worked. As we look to evolve our style, Fashion informs, but there are so many eco-friendly and reselling options that make sense - aesthetically, societally, and financially - that we don’t have to be endlessly searching for ‘brand new’ to revitalize and refresh. It’s having your cake and eating it too.
For those clients who "don't care" about any of that (my mother is one of them), I'd say: Yes you do. Every. Single. Person. Smiles brighter, shows up as a better version of themselves after a shower and some solid self-care. When you develop personal style as part of your self-care routine, you expand that tool kit and move towards living your Best Life. In quarantine, but so much better in community! And for others who “hate shopping” - that’s why you outsource. I’d make a good bet we’ll even have some fun!
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