Finding your Style Fingerprint: the Scars & Stars that Define your Memade Wardrobe
This outfit “destash jacket” with Foldover Elastic and an elastic waist pull on skirt in Italian Sweater Wool. A kilt pin to keep it all together.
Memories of childhood, teenage years, adulthood, working life and relationships all impact us and what we choose to wear.
Life has its ups & downs and we have the scars to prove it. Cheer Squads and Rock throwers are in the mix. It's normal and a part of life's rich tapestry. My theory is that Rock throwers are lacking confidence in themselves and use their comments to prevent others from feeling good about themselves. Too many rock throwers can throw us off our course. Putting up a shield by becoming less noticeable, can help us survive some of these battles. Fighting to survive takes it toll.
Staying in touch with what I wanted to do, loved to wear & wearing the clothes that said: "I'm here and I'm still me" helped me survive many a battle. I found it a mind game. Some days I'd choose to be invisible and some days not.
No low back for me!
Life Scars are slow to heal - we either work around them or through them. These Scars impact our clothing choices. Style Ingredients contain variables that have to be considered. An example for me is I feel uncomfortable in backless dresses. I had skin issues in my teenage years and when I wore a dress or top with a low back or bathers, I remember quite clearly people informing me I had some blemishes (sometimes in very loud voices). People do notice and are quite rude. I shy away from making garments with revealing backs.
That is a scar on the fingerprint of my persona. Too many memories of these unhelpful comments take away the joy of the outing and the confidence to wear backless garments.
Wearing a memade garment that gives me the opportunity to express myself, feel protected and confident in my every day life, takes my mind off my imperfections. I can choose to talk about them or not. It's my choice and I'm not at the mercy of thoughtless or mean people.
Colour, fabric print, style lines & lifestyle suitability are factors that can make or break an outfit. Everyone lives for the outfit that works and feels “just right.” Having a perfect body, being a certain age or being tall isn't a must have. Being your best self means working with the current body, height, age and scars and making it work, and I mean really work. Loving me! Confidence is addictive. Once you feel a vibe from an outfit that is memade, feels comfortable and has your fingerprint on it ... Scars and all, then the journey begins! I'll have what I had yesterday but different. The Holy Grail of creating a wardrobe that reflects the best bits of you and protects you from attack.
Colour lifts my mood
I love starting other people on that journey and working through the process with them of discovering the patterns and fabrics that point toward outfits that work for them and they feel great wearing! Cookie cutter solutions are available on the internet, but from my experience putting on someone else's dress just isn't the solution ....
Adding a collar and sleeves to my self drafted “Pop it on Top”
I remember being given some second hand dark somber sack dresses. I was told I could wear “anything” so the offcast dresses were for me to wear! Well that didn't end up being true for me. I felt frumpy and lack lusture, whenever I wore them. Someone else's style just wasn't mine. It was such a relief to stop wearing those dresses and get back to Sewing!
Share what memories helped change your style direction in the comments below!
Come on a Style Ingredients journey with me!
Your Body, Style, Scars & Stars ... send me an email info@annewhalley.com and we can work together to fine tune your "Memade Wardrobe Plan" that you execute and feel great wearing. Whether you have become tired of your current look or want to feel more like yourself & less like everyone else.
Details about my Sewing Mentor Program:
http://www.annewhalley.com/mentor