Why we wear what we wear
My friend Tricia of bitsandbobbins.com wrote this great post a few weeks ago about why people dress the way they do, and how she developed her personal style. Tricia and I have been internet friends for about seven years now, even though we've never met in person. One of the great things about the Internet is that I've managed to find a close community of women, many of whom have been with me through many stages of my life. It's sort of like having a cheerleading squad that follows me wherever I go.
Anyway, this post is about wardrobe and clothing and some of the ideas that Tricia brought up in the original post.
Now I'll talk about why I dress the way I do, and what I am drawn to.
For the past 7 or 8 years, my clothing has been dominated by function and low income. I have needed durable, functional clothing that can be used a lot. Since 1999, I've lived in eight different places- 2 big cities, one small town, Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia, a mid-size city, and Jakarta. I have moved a lot, and have a very pared down wardrobe. I don't keep a lot with me every time I move. I have a few clothes that I can't bear to part with- namely a gorgeous lavender cheong sam, a woolen vest that I bought in Chile over 14 years ago but haven't worn in 10, and a few other things.
I hate shopping because it makes me feel inadequate. I used to stress over how much everything cost, and the amount of money I had. I'm getting better now.
Moving to various different climates really affected my wardrobe. I couldn't wear cords in Vancouver (too hot) and found that some of my jackets and shoes were completely useless in a temperate rainforest. At one point, all my summer skirts were down to my ankles, because they'd all been acquired so I could be comfortable and appropriate living and working in Indonesia, which is a traditional Muslim nation.
My clothing is rather uninspiring due to my current job and physical location. When it's cold, I just want to be as warm as possible. I don't like wearing skirts or dresses in winter, because I want to stay warm.
My job sometimes requires me to drive out to a farm or go into a pottery studio on the same day. As a result, I'll wear a t-shirt and jeans most days, along with Doc Marten boots. I started wearing Doc boots when I lived in Vancouver because they were good for walking and rain. They're also good for climbing into cow pens and walking around farms, which I do some days at my job.
People dress conservatively up here. T-shirt and jeans are normal for most people, unless they're in a professional occupation where they would wear dress clothes. Casual is the name of the day. Since my job is to try and make people comfortable, I can't afford to stand out too much. I want to look and be comfortable, just in case I have to lie down in a field to take a picture, but I still have to look presentable in case I walk into an office.
That said, this year I am trying to wear more colour, and am adding shirts with buttons and shirts other than t-shirts to my wardrobe. On days when I stay in town, I'll wear skirts to the office. I just bought a pair of casual black shoes to wear, so I've got some new shoes as well. I have some nice girly sandals, and I might slip those on a few times this year too.
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Body issues- I am bottom heavy and have large legs and a large ass. I'm a bit of a mesomorph and can gain muscle pretty easily. I dress to minimize my bottom. No skinny jeans for me. I used to accentuate my waist, but my waist isn't as small as it used to be now that I am in my 30s. I've always felt good about my bust and collarbone and I love v-neck shirts as a result. I like that area of my body. I tend to wear looser bottoms and tighter tops, with heavier shoes for walking. I don't like high heels; I like something good and solid on my feet.
****
What I'm drawn to- I wear a lot of earth tones, and I love red more than any other colour. I am a bit scared by colour- I go into a store and I have no idea what colours look good with my skin tone. I know that I look fantastic in white, and pastels because of my olive skin. I also love chocolate browns and probably wear too much black. I'm going to try to wear more colour this summer.
I do love wearing t-shirts with slogans and weird sayings and will probably never fully conquer that love. Sorry, Stacey and Clinton.
What I'm drawn to and love- I love fashion inspired by old movies- Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde, Julie Christie's sweaters in Dr. Zhivago, 40s style dresses, Ali McGraw's clothes in "Love Story" almost anything that looks classically tailored. I love plaid, especially short plaid skirts. I love trench coats, and tall boots, and mary janes. I love to wear v-neck anything. I like my pants low-cut and I hate pants with pleats. I love cardigans, and sweaters with hoods and tweed, and anything that looks like it should be worn by a sexy librarian.
Big surprise- I love anything that has an Asian influence. Mandarin collars, cheong sams, gathered buttons etc.
People who know me in real life know that I love cleavage and probably check out boobs more than the average straight woman.
I love flirty little sundresses and just bought a pair of big sunglasses with rhinestones on them because they are hilarious. I've been trying to dress in a more feminine style when I get dressed up. I love pearl necklaces and black dresses with gloves. I like sexy when it's done with class, not trash.
Anyway, this post is about wardrobe and clothing and some of the ideas that Tricia brought up in the original post.
Now I'll talk about why I dress the way I do, and what I am drawn to.
For the past 7 or 8 years, my clothing has been dominated by function and low income. I have needed durable, functional clothing that can be used a lot. Since 1999, I've lived in eight different places- 2 big cities, one small town, Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia, a mid-size city, and Jakarta. I have moved a lot, and have a very pared down wardrobe. I don't keep a lot with me every time I move. I have a few clothes that I can't bear to part with- namely a gorgeous lavender cheong sam, a woolen vest that I bought in Chile over 14 years ago but haven't worn in 10, and a few other things.
I hate shopping because it makes me feel inadequate. I used to stress over how much everything cost, and the amount of money I had. I'm getting better now.
Moving to various different climates really affected my wardrobe. I couldn't wear cords in Vancouver (too hot) and found that some of my jackets and shoes were completely useless in a temperate rainforest. At one point, all my summer skirts were down to my ankles, because they'd all been acquired so I could be comfortable and appropriate living and working in Indonesia, which is a traditional Muslim nation.
My clothing is rather uninspiring due to my current job and physical location. When it's cold, I just want to be as warm as possible. I don't like wearing skirts or dresses in winter, because I want to stay warm.
My job sometimes requires me to drive out to a farm or go into a pottery studio on the same day. As a result, I'll wear a t-shirt and jeans most days, along with Doc Marten boots. I started wearing Doc boots when I lived in Vancouver because they were good for walking and rain. They're also good for climbing into cow pens and walking around farms, which I do some days at my job.
People dress conservatively up here. T-shirt and jeans are normal for most people, unless they're in a professional occupation where they would wear dress clothes. Casual is the name of the day. Since my job is to try and make people comfortable, I can't afford to stand out too much. I want to look and be comfortable, just in case I have to lie down in a field to take a picture, but I still have to look presentable in case I walk into an office.
That said, this year I am trying to wear more colour, and am adding shirts with buttons and shirts other than t-shirts to my wardrobe. On days when I stay in town, I'll wear skirts to the office. I just bought a pair of casual black shoes to wear, so I've got some new shoes as well. I have some nice girly sandals, and I might slip those on a few times this year too.
****
Body issues- I am bottom heavy and have large legs and a large ass. I'm a bit of a mesomorph and can gain muscle pretty easily. I dress to minimize my bottom. No skinny jeans for me. I used to accentuate my waist, but my waist isn't as small as it used to be now that I am in my 30s. I've always felt good about my bust and collarbone and I love v-neck shirts as a result. I like that area of my body. I tend to wear looser bottoms and tighter tops, with heavier shoes for walking. I don't like high heels; I like something good and solid on my feet.
****
What I'm drawn to- I wear a lot of earth tones, and I love red more than any other colour. I am a bit scared by colour- I go into a store and I have no idea what colours look good with my skin tone. I know that I look fantastic in white, and pastels because of my olive skin. I also love chocolate browns and probably wear too much black. I'm going to try to wear more colour this summer.
I do love wearing t-shirts with slogans and weird sayings and will probably never fully conquer that love. Sorry, Stacey and Clinton.
What I'm drawn to and love- I love fashion inspired by old movies- Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde, Julie Christie's sweaters in Dr. Zhivago, 40s style dresses, Ali McGraw's clothes in "Love Story" almost anything that looks classically tailored. I love plaid, especially short plaid skirts. I love trench coats, and tall boots, and mary janes. I love to wear v-neck anything. I like my pants low-cut and I hate pants with pleats. I love cardigans, and sweaters with hoods and tweed, and anything that looks like it should be worn by a sexy librarian.
Big surprise- I love anything that has an Asian influence. Mandarin collars, cheong sams, gathered buttons etc.
People who know me in real life know that I love cleavage and probably check out boobs more than the average straight woman.
I love flirty little sundresses and just bought a pair of big sunglasses with rhinestones on them because they are hilarious. I've been trying to dress in a more feminine style when I get dressed up. I love pearl necklaces and black dresses with gloves. I like sexy when it's done with class, not trash.