Yes, it's true. Again. Always. Maybe more so now than before. I'm coming to realize that last summer was a catapult that launched me in a variety of new directions, or at least brought some things to the forefront that had been lurking in the background of my personality before. Even though I really sorely failed to take advantage of New York to the fullest while I was there, the experience of being there on my own and working pretty directly in the fashion/food/travel/luxury industry affected me a lot.
Working for Epicurious gave me a dose of information about the food world and cooking technique that got me really interested in the foodie universe and more passionate and open-minded about food. That's been pretty smooth transition, since I was already inclined towards eating delicious things and being crafty.
Fashion is another thing entirely. Browsing Style.com for hours gives you a pretty good appreciation of high fashion, but getting into it personally is another thing. I love the aesthetic sensibilities of fashion, but it's immensely difficult to apply them to yourself. First off, prying myself away from my high school graphic-tee-and-blue-jeans uniform has been remarkably difficult. Not only does it comprise the bulk of my day-to-day wardrobe, but it's comfortable and safe.
I've been trying to ease out of that mode through a slow transition--boot-cut jeans to skinny jeans, unisex t-shirts to v-necks. I managed to wean myself off of sweatshirts onto sweaters. I'm supplementing my workhorse sneakers with more feminine flats. There's still a long way to go, though, and the real world is approaching with startling speed. I really want to have an acceptably female and adult closet by the time I start a job.
Getting that to happen is going to take a number of tough steps for me. I'm going to have to be able to wear a dress casually. It's so difficult. Really more so because I'll have to deal with the inevitable "Cathy, you're wearing a dress"s from EVERYONE I KNOW. Yeah, thanks for pointing that out, guys. Thanks for making me that much more self-conscious. Ugh. It's inevitable. The same thing happens every time I decide to wear eye makeup. I know people only do that because they're noticing there's something different about you and trying to be attentive, but it's really kind of terrible.
I'm going to have to also be able to wear heels casually. I'm going to go ahead and blame my mom for this particular neurosis because she is clearly from the "heels can never be comfortable" camp, which I think it probably a harmful generalization. I certainly have never owned comfortable heels, but I think that's probably because all my heels tend to be ultra-formal, since the Fishers only wear them for major holidays and formal events.
I'm going to have to start accessorizing. It's something I've sort of always avoided because it didn't go with my fabulously gender-neutral ThinkGeek shirts. Because of that, I haven't really bought a necklace since middle school. My only wrist wear is a watch. I ditched my rings a couple years ago. I don't have any non-winter scarves or headwear, really.
The point is really that all of this needs to be built from the ground up. In some ways, that's freeing; I have a blank palette. It's also terrifying. And potentially very expensive.
Other impetuses for this post:
Leave a comment