Personal Style
I read two things today which really gave me pause…which is rare!
Each of them expressed some of the joys - and hesitations - of deeply committed to one’s own personal style. How do we respond to the inevitable changes which come with time, or from feedback from other people?
As my work load has increased over the years, I think I’ve subconsciously surrounded myself with things as a way of comforting myself. Too tired to get out, see friends or work out? I’ll just buy something small and pretty to distract myself. While this may not sound like a very important problem to have (I know there are more pressing issues in the world), I would gladly give away 90% of the things in my apartment to have a few more moments of inner peace and a greater grasp on what my shifting personal style really is.
Adopting a Look, No Boys Allowed
I succumbed to my usual tendencies. I found a Nicole Miller dress: a black jersey mock-turtleneck with big shoulder pads and a kind of harem skirt pin-tucked into multiple pleats for a sort of triangular, futurist bustle effect. Very Tilda Swinton and Mildred Pierce go to a Manhattan Transfer concert. It had threads coming loose, and it needed a severe dry-cleaning, but the shape was there; there was still life in it.
“You do look intimidatingly fashionable in that dress,” Phoebe Cates said. “And it’s got a great arse.”
Did I feel as if I belonged to Shareen’s special girl club?
No. That aspect is high-school tribal — you’re either one of their crowd, or you’re not. But I bought the dress anyway. I wasn’t shopping for cliques, and it was only $52.