On Style and Reinvention

Every so often I feel the sudden need to change something drastically about myself. I never know when it might happen and what it is sparked by, but it usually results in haircuts, shopping sprees or even the little star tattoo on my ankle. 

I believe that there is a distinct difference between fashion and style. Fashion I consider to be things the media tells us to wear and trends that come and go, sometimes before you can properly catch up. (Stop bringing back the 80s flared jeans; I am still getting used to wearing 90s chokers again) Style, on the other hand, is something very personal and while there is a general idea of what looks good and what doesn´t, your individual taste has a huge part to play. It is also worth noting that not everything looks good on everyone. Then again, if you don´t like what someone else is wearing or how they are wearing it, try not to voice an opinion unless asked. I find that by dressing ourselves a certain way we have a major impact on how we feel. Some people might enjoy wearing colorful dresses, while I mostly stick to simple monochrome pieces, with the odd pop of color. Essentially I believe in wearing whatever makes you happy.

Here is the thing, though. Once you found „your personal style“, you are kind of expected to stick to it once and for all. I used to dress much girlier when I was younger and then sort of settled on a more grungy but still casual style for a couple of years. I still mostly live in biker boots, worn-out Converse and ripped jeans, but I do like to experiment with more out-there pieces sometimes, like lace, metallic or satin materials. While there are days when you just want to throw on a white shirt and a pair of jeans and be left in peace, there is also - and I would argue this happens mostly in the summer - times when you feel the need to really think about an outfit and make sure it works the way you want it to.

On a similar matter, I used to change my hair a lot. I had it dyed red, black and even blondish at times, gotten highlights and different cuts and in one brave moment at the age of 19 gotten a super short asymmetrical do that I still kind of miss. Whenever I did that though, people seemed to think, they had to voice an opinion or tell me things like „I mean, I preferred your old look“ or even „this isn´t very fitting for you“. And here is my problem with that: how do you get the idea that someone else knows what is ME better than I do? 

When getting dressed in the morning, visiting the hairdressers or even deciding whether or not to put on makeup that day, we choose what to do with our looks. And I believe reinvention is a very powerful and sometimes necessary thing. Why should we stick to what others expect from us? If you want to wear 50´s inspired printed skirts, go for it. If you suddenly decide you´d like pink tips, go buy some hair dye. If you are tired of everything in your closet, explore some new trends. Change is good and it can never hurt to get out of your comfort zone and try out some things. Whether you later regret it and say „Oh yeah, those streaky blonde highlights were NOT my best look“ doesn´t really matter as long as, at the time, you loved it and you thought you looked fab. I think looking back at yourself and cringing is inevitable even for style icons like Coco Chanel or Kate Moss and so you might as well have fun with it all, right?