
Finding Yourself in Fashion
Renee McIntire
I’ve never been that person who has a signature style. Every stage in my life has had it’s own “look” and represented who I was at the time. However, as I enter my forties, I’m realizing I got lost somewhere along the way and that I’m confused about what my style is and what I want it to say.
When I was young, I was a tomboy. I wore a lot of soccer shorts and t-shirts. This style absolutely was true to my hobbies and lifestyle at the time. I was just a kid, running around having fun.
Enter high school and the tomboy look had to go. I went through a thrifting stage and wore a lot of too-small kid sized t-shirts and funky pants. I still knew I wasn’t your typical “girly girl” and wanted to have fun with my clothes. I think at this stage in my life, my clothes still represented me. A girl with a quirky sense of style but that still wanted to look cute for a boy every now and then.

Then in college, I became “emo” like so many kids from my generation. I started wearing a lot of black and cutting my hair in all kinds of crazy ways. I altered a lot of thrifted clothing with rips, studs, and patches from bands. I had my lip and monroe pierced and REALLY took this entire vibe very seriously. Even though this was a bit extreme compared to before…I loved my style at this time and had a lot of fun shopping at thrift stores and creatively altering items to suit my likes. I look back at photos and it feels like me still, even though I’m unlikely to wear anything like that again.
Well, then I graduated from college and I knew that I had to “grow up” my style if I was planning to get a job. So, I ditched the emo vibe and went….“Kohl’s” vibes. HAH. I think we’ve ALL been there. I needed clothes for work at an affordable price and often times went shopping with my mom. As I started making a little more money, I graduated to the Outlet Mall i.e. Banana Republic, LOFT, & Ann Taylor…heading directly in to the clearance sections. I certainly felt a lot more stylish at this time BUT none of these brands ever really spoke to me. I rarely went in and thought, this is SO me and I have to have it. The ONLY exception being a cardigan because I LOVE all cardigans. (And yes, I had to have them.)
So, now I’m in my forties and find myself disappointed with a lot of the Banana, Ann Taylor etc. that I find hanging in my closet and I really want something that is more uniquely ME. Those tops that just simply matched the black dress pants and had a nice sale price are SOOOO uninspired. Do you know what I mean? It’s like I’m finally back at a place in my life where I want my wardrobe to be able to describe me in some creative way.
Tell me this ins’t a NO. What was I thinking? I think anyone that knows me, would see this and know I only bought it because it because it was on clearance and I needed a dress. There is nothing wrong with this dress, but it is so NOT me that it’s honestly hard for me to look at hahaha.
I’ve been making more of an effort to only shop for things I LOVE vs. priced right or just happens to match my pants. But, I feel more confused than ever trying to figure out what my style is AND where to even shop for it. What stores do women shop at when they are in between age groups? I’m too old to shop at Forever21, H&M. Stores like Banana, LOFT, J.Crew, and Ann Taylor are probably the appropriate response but the majority of those focus around office clothes and they all just copy each other. So, if those brands don’t speak to me….and they all carry basically the same stuff….what’s a girl to do??
So, thinking more about this…I realize so many of my “happy” fashion years were ones when I was thrift shopping or buying secondhand items. I was always finding items that actually spoke to me and I can’t just walk in to Banana Republic and find. I feel more creative as I hit the racks. The other benefit, when I don’t know if something is “me” or not but I still want to try it out…I can wear it a couple of times and pass it on to the next person without the guilt that I bought it new and wasted my money.
For anyone who isn’t having this fashion crisis AND for those that DO love Banana Republic, LOFT, J.Crew….I envy you! Even better news for you - these are the top brands to find secondhand. It’s a great way to save money, rotate your closet more often, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY do your part in helping to support a more sustainable fashion future.
I may not know what my next fashion choices will be for this stage in my life but I look forward to the secondhand shopping I’ll be doing to figure it out. Because let’s face it, I DO love to shop! And it’s not all bad, because I’ll always have cardigans.