FASHION

 Fashion is interesting and always changing. We see this in beautiful window displays styled with shoes, handbags, jewelry, wraps, etc. And when we enter the store we like shop clerks that have style and exuded confidence giving the air that fashion is about feeling good about oneself. 

Better yet is if we are greeted by staff that's knowledgeable of their products.




I supplied an image of some of my scarfs to show the variety of colors, designs, fabrics, embellishments, patterns, and textures. While the majority of my scarves are vintage Italian and Indian, there are also a few that are newer. 

When I was young, I was definitely fashionable, and even trendy, thanks to my mother. Mom made the majority of my clothing and one thing stands out - Mom loved me.

Like most kids, I went through different phases and Mom knew what story I wanted to tell at that time.  

In grade school, I  loved horses and dressed in western wear. Many of my shirts were printed and had shiny western buttons. I wore cowgirl boots and a white t-shirt that had a painted horse's head on it. My favorite Christmas dress was red, black, and white and it was trimmed with a rick rack. The outfit looked great with black knee-high boots. 

When I got into junior high, I was into Laura Ingalls Wilder and the pioneer days.  I recall having dresses with small floral prints. Mom designed these to hang well below my knee and she made me colorful sleeveless vests to go with them.

In high school, things changed drastically. Punk style was in. When I wasn't in oversized distressed sweatshirts, I looked like someone had dribbled paint all over my clothes - because I had. Oddly, I went in a different direction when it came to dressing for proms. I wore gowns of pink chiffon with white lace.

Nowadays, fashion-wise I like a bit of everything and often gravitate to statement dressing. I appreciate the B's - Bags, Blazers, Blouses, Boots, Bracelets. I also adore accessories, designer handbags, vintage jewelry, and scarves. I appreciate embellishments and textures and like natural plant-based textile fibers.

The fashion industry involves the same activities my mom was doing because she loved me. Mom was coming up with designs, researching patterns and fabrics, cutting, embellishing, and sewing items. While Mom doesn't design for me any longer, we do still get together to shop for clothing. 

The most important takeaway I got from all my years of wearing different styles is to find a way to just be yourself.