My style evolution

I remember my first fashion style. As a young woman highly exposed to high street fashion and outrageous get-ups it was a torture looking for my own fashion style. My first obsession were the bell bottoms. I would combine these hideous pants with a slouchy t-shirt or a tank top. For me that was my thing. Over the years I learn how to come up with new outfit combos. I spent money on clothes that look ridiculous on me. But the more ridiculous I look the comfier I was. I had no clue what suited me. I jump style every now and then. The days I get it right I felt triumphant. But to say I was badly dressed is an understatement . I wear ill fitting clothes that made me look frumpy and from another era. Had it not been for my mums natural flair for fashion, I would just been another badly dressed teenager. 

My mum was high on fashion, well in her own way. She would combine colors and clothes that inspired me to do the same. Her tips on what to wear and how to dress didn't dawn on me until I was in my early twenties, when getting dressed each morning was a torture. She hated the way my elder sister dressed, the ill fitting skirts and shirts my elder sister opted for. When we were out in the streets of our little hometown, she would point out the flaws in each persons dress style. I really listen much to what she has to say. But today I always refer back to her 'to dos' and 'not to dos'. Its amazing how a woman from a little town with no regards to fashion has discovered her own style, without the help of magazines or stylist. 

Then there's my Dad who forced me to wear dresses or skirts because I'm a girl. For him it was more about the culture, it was more respectable for girls to wear dresses in the village. I would fight with him about how dresses were not comfortable for climbing trees or running around with the neighbors kids. My parents gave up and let me wear my shorts and Tees all through out my adolescences. 

Another of my fashion flaw was wearing my mums Tees or my brothers when he outgrown them. I was high on loose clothing. Half of my desire to wear these outrageous baggy Tees was probably because at that time I was not comfortable being a girl. 

Today I feel very confident in finding my own style. It helps that I accepted my body shape more as I got older. But of course I went through a stage of wanting to have straight-up-and-down model look, but I have curves and hips and in the end I just have to accept myself the way I am. 

Then dating different men really helped me to know what I am comfortable with. I use to date this guy who told me that  should dress more casual; jeans and Tees. I was way past jeans and Tees. Well sometimes I like to wear that but once he said that I sent him through the door. If there's one thing I learn is that my fashion style is about me, what I feel good, confident and comfortable in is for my own being. Not for some stranger I meet in the subway. 

My husband still talks about what I wore when we first met. This brown dress with ridiculously unique high heels that according to him I'm the only one who could pull that off. He helped me a lot in my style evolution as well. He would lovingly criticize my dress style but still insists that we go out with me looking the way I wanted to. The only thing he really cannot stand me wearing was my leopard printed manteau, which I think he was right. Threw it out after wearing it only once. 

Marrying into a family with ladies who has their own unique sense of style helped me developed my own. My confidence grew by getting the building blocks of my wardrobe right and then, slowly but surely, pushing the boat out to bigger risks. 

Today walking down the streets of Sion with my own combo makes me feel great. I don't need to conform to whats in style, I keep my style sophisticated and exaggerates sometimes but always out of season to add personality to my style. Every now and then I go through my old stuff and realize how far I've come in my style evolution. 

I'm probably too obsessed with thinking of new outfits combo, checking out what my classmates are wearing or even buying, scanning street styles to incorporate into my wardrobe. But always sticking to my own style for base and build whatever around it. 

I don't think my mum realize what an amazing role she had played in developing my confidence in this area, and I sincerely hope I guide my friends to do the same.