Fashion is not what the labels say, it's who you are.
I discovered my love of Fashion early in life. As a little girl I always loved dressing up. When my parents would leave the house, I would always go in my mom’s closet and pull out her black patent leather, and suede stilettos, slip on her fancy cocktail dresses, pile on her jewelry and wrap myself in her faux furs. I would prance around in the mirror just long enough before I expected my parents return. Now although my mom had these items, she would only wear them to the special parties they attended at the Shriners club my dad was part of. Other than that, she was pretty much plain Jane. I figured she knew I had been through her things but she didn’t mind.
She knew her daughter was a Miss Prissy Fashion Diva. I would always be particular about the clothes she would buy, even though we didn’t have much of a budget to spend on clothes. She would always notice my style and would buy what I liked unless it was outside the budget. So thrifting was a second alternative for us. That is where my love for the Thrift and Vintage apparel came to be. Mom would often go there and buy us things. I didn’t mind, it was second hand besides most of the week I had to wear a uniform because I attended Parochial School.
When I came of my own, I made sure that I looked and dressed a certain way. I don’t know it was just in me. I would often gaze through fashion magazines getting totally inspired. An adrenaline rush would come over me when I saw the fashion models strutting the pages of those magazines as well as the runways. They were well put together and had an aura of Yeah, I know I look good, without the attitude of being conceited. It was total confidence! I felt the only way to go is designer.
How I yearned to go to High End Designer stores advertised in those magazines and purchase the best of the best, but realistically, my taste was Champaign but my pocket was not. I then began mimicking the styles from the magazines using the clothing pieces I had accumulated from thrift and vintage shops. Venturing consignment shops, I realized I was able to purchase designer items at a much reasonable price.
I then began putting my own styles together with those second hand finds and developed an esthetic where people noticed and I would constantly receive compliments. My solution is to invest in classic pieces made of natural materials and fabrics that will last and allow your skin to breathe. Leather shoes, bags etc are resilient and the quality will stand through time.
Perhaps one day I will be able to walk through Gucci, Chanel or Louis Vuitton on the regular, but I truly feel it's not what the labels say, fashion is who you are.
Comments
Post a Comment