Fashion Crisis!
I am currently obsessing over clothes and fashion and style - not style in general but style as in, my own personal. Likely the dominant reason for this is that I can not fit into most of my clothes right now but at the same time I do not want to go shopping for a size that I hope/am determined to be out of in the next couple of weeks.
Observe:
These next 3 photos are from the Garnet Hill online catalog. I discovered GH when we moved to Burbank and the lady who lived here before us did not forward her mail.
I love these items! Pretty! Feminine! Simple! Neutral! You notice that they are all gray/black? Yes, well, I have this love, in the blackest corner of my heart. For things like this:
Things sassy, and ruffley and dark and vintage looking.
This black bustle-skirt? I long for it! Yes I know it isn't practical or even in the realm of stay-at-home-mormon-mom but it calls to me! 
However, I also have this other and very opposite urge in fashion: 
The bohemian, peasant-y, colorful things that hale back to when my mom was in her 20's. (lucky dog, mom)
Speaking of Mom, if she's told me once, she's told me a thousand times that I should not be wearing black because it makes me look dead. My response is just to wear more makeup. Anyway, back to my crisis. See, I used to have this Gunne Sax skirt, made from a pattern (by my mom, natch, when she was young) that I would wear on hippie day during tourney week - and I would wear it with a yellow vintage greenpeace t-shirt and that was possibly my favorite outfit that I ever wore those 4 years of fake-soap-opera-life we like to call High School. I wore it just once or twice.
Mostly I wore jeans and girly tops or a mens shirt. In college I wore the mens shirt with slacks more often - like this:
And then there is the whole obsession with Anthropology which is definitely colorful and bohemian rather than dark and vintage.
You see? After all this - hours of looking online and talking it out - I'm still not closer to figuring out what the heck to do with my wardrobe. I don't WANT to do both - that is impractical and expensive. And I DO wand to have a "look" that defines my style.
Argh!
13 comments:
Pray about it! :P
But seriously, which look would hurt more to let go of? The bohemian one is a *bit* more practical for your everyday mom duties. My personal preference (like it matters) is the clean lines of the suiting look (because really, you like suiting with gothic flourishes). But I wouldn't wear it right now because it's less forgiving with my current body shape than the bohemian look would be. Just sayin'.
I love that you have style. I just opt for the jeans/Tshirt look. I've been trying to dress it up a bit lately with nicer shirts or sweaters and nicer shoes. Unfortunately, I think that's the best I've got. The fact that you have two to be choosing from is awesome...not to mention the fact that you're brave enough to wear things that are out of the mainstream. I say have a practical wardrobe and then have special items from either style that you wear for special occasions. Honestly, what will really define you is your personality, the clothes just make you feel better about who you are right?
WHERE is that gorgeous black jumper from?
The jumper! I know! It is from this store:
http://fairygothmother.co.uk/
however, I cannot find it anywhere on the site so they may not carry it anymore.. :( thank heaven for sewing machines...
If you scan through the pictures on your post, there is a unifying theme. But really, try navy blue or a blue/grey rather than black or charcoal, cause really, its not a good look for you. Love, MOM
LOL I love the bohemian and dark items you showed us. You are so much like your auntie hehe.... You can make most of those styles yourself you know.
It's hiding:
http://www.fairygothmother.co.uk/na-01.htm
And well it should, because that price is shameful.
FanPlusFriend has a ripoff for much cheaper (in fleece!), but the front is not as high:
http://www.fanplusfriend.com/servlet/the-1023/Gothic-Lolita-Bias-Pleated/Detail
thank you Stacey for the links! (yeah, pricey! going pattern hunting!!)
fanplusfriend also has a nice bunch of steampunk clothing..... and my dilemma deepens.. :)
Okay... I have a couple of comments here.
First of all... Isn't reading other people's mail a federal offense?!!!
Second, while the names of the styles are different, your Mom is right, there is a continuous theme throughout. Maybe your style is what Steampunk has become. A mesh of the two styles.
Third, I think you should find your favorites from both styles and do them both!
I find that I am happiest when I can be one person one day with my clothing... say, fancy and aloof in my dressy European outfits and the next day be down to earth in my Gap jeans and t-shirt.
It's wonderful being flexible and you TOTALLY have that going for you!
Anyway, I LOVE LOVE LOVE so many of the things that you picked but, just off the top of my head, the one that seems to stand out to me the most is the second one. The beautiful sleek dress with the simple belt. (Probably because I miss having a totally flat stomach like that... sigh)
You silly goose. Just do both. And, no, it won't be to expensive because
A. you sew, and can make some of this stuff for way cheaper.
B. the bohemian stuff (like the rag skirt) will go with plain colors on top(i.e. black, gray) which is the color of all the other stuff.
C. i agree with your other posters that although you think they are WAY different, they kinda aren't
p.s. also, I know you are CONVINCED you want to wear nothing but skirts, but you may want a few things that are pants - you ARE the mother of three active boys after all. what if you want to go for a bike ride?
And why can you not have both styles? I have multiple styles in my closet for how I feel on different days. I have my suits for when I want to dress up at work, I have my "casual" office that I prefer for work, I have my jeans for wearing out and about and I have my funky for just because I really don't care what anyone thinks about what I wear.... so wear what YOU want hon!
Auntie
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