Most of us say that we wish we had known then what we know now—but I’ve been thinking that maybe we should consider the opposite.
This is a photo of me when I was in college. Is there anything one would want to repeat here? Red shag carpet? Radio? Granny squares?
I didn’t know what suited me best, what colors looked best on me …or how to put together a granny square blanket!
What I do like about this photo is the reminder of the freedom I felt then. It made me ask myself, what could we learn about style from our younger selves? Here are some of my thoughts, and I’d love to hear about yours in the comments.
You don’t have to match things you already have if you absolutely love something. When we’re young, we gravitate to things that are not necessarily part of our idea of our style. Maybe something new will actually change your idea of your style. Experiment!
I remember a 60-something college instructor taping a post on her door: Resist the tendency to define yourself. When you’re trying to decide what to do with your life, you are open.
2. Be impractical sometimes. Capsule wardrobe, sensible shoes—one part Marie Kondo, one part Lady Gaga, let this stuff go if your soul says otherwise. Do not allow people to dim your shine because they are blinded, tell them to put on some sunglasses, cuz you were born this way!
3. Make your own style with your own hands. You don’t have to have a giant credit limit to creatively flex your style muscles. See the dress I’m wearing in that photo above? I saw something I adored in a magazine and sewed something similar, but with a fabric that related to my family’s Scottish ancestry.
4. Wear things that remind you of people you love. Here I was in my mother’s Irish sweater and a scarf knit for me by my godmother. I didn’t have to pay for them, and they kept me toasty, body and soul.
Oh, and that sweater of my mother’s? I wore it All. The. Time.
5. Look at fashion and do the same without money. Did you ever look at a fashion shoot and interpret it with what you already have? There’s so much inspiration! Get the vibe, not the exact item.
6. Buy used. We all know that fast fashion is a huge burden on the planet. The opposite is true of secondhand fashion—nothing thrown away, nothing newly made. When you’re young it’s often about finding things that don’t cost so much, but it doesn’t have to be cheap, shoddy fast fashion.
7. Wear things that you can take care of yourself. And learn to take care of things at least on a basic level such as washing things carefully, sewing on a button and fixing a fallen hem.
8. Wear what you are crazy about over and over and over. Put patches on holes and if it fades and softens, think of the item as an old friend.
I wore this striped cotton sundress for seven years, until it had had enough, then used it to patch other clothes.
9. Save up to buy one really good thing that makes you feel incredible. You won’t forget it, ever.
Finally, my favorite:
10. Tell people what you love, and you may get it for your birthday. I created this three days before my birthday:
Did I get new shoes for my birthday? No, but it was worth a try!
What ideas do you steal from your younger self?