SPC {what I wear 1}

I'm really excited about this month's Self Portrait Challenge theme.  So excited I'm starting a week early.  What I wear.  I think what we wear, or what we don't wear, can reveal a lot about who we are...or who we want to be.  We often choose our clothing based on how we feel or how we want to feel.  It can be an expression of our personality or an indication of where we happen to be in our lives at the present moment.  And I can't help but also link what we wear to style.  Although I don't think I've owned a certain style for myself there are many people who have.  There are people who have taken a certain look and made it so theirs that you can't help but think of that person when you think of the style.  Think Frida Kahlo and her Tehuana dress.  Can you imagine her in anything else?  Think Coco Chanel and her string of pearls.  Think Diane Keaton and the way she took menswear and made it feminine.  Think Stevie Nicks and her free flowing bewitching gowns and capes.  Think Audrey Hepburn and those adorable cropped pants paired with cute slippers.  Think Bono and his sunglasses.  Think Elvis and his big collared sequin suits.  Think about the way Carey Grant could wear a tuxedo like no one else.  Think Charlie Chaplain with his mustache and bowler hat.  Think Johnny Depp and that bohemian 'hobo chic' he pulls off so well.  And I'm sure you could list hundreds of others whose 'look' has become synonymous with the person.  What we choose to wear can reveal little things about ourselves that maybe we only feel safe expressing through something we can easily remove.  So I think this ought to be an interesting month and I can't wait to see what some of you come up with.

I'm one of those people who wish they had a 'look'.  I kinda just feel thrown together most of the time.  I don't consider myself stylish in the least.  The images above are just about the way I feel about my wardrobe.  A bit frumpy.  Now there is something to be said for comfort and many weekends you will catch me just as you see me above--pajama pants (or comfy pants as we call them in our home), a t-shirt, hair thrown up, and not a stitch of make-up.  Very au naturale.  But I would be lying if I said I didn't have this little piece inside of me longing to be a bit more stylish.  And I don't mean that in a fad/trend kind of way.  I mean I wish I knew how to better express who I am on the inside through what I wear on the outside.  A fad/trend is a passing fancy.  Style is something you own that may even be unique to you.  It doesn't have to be what everyone else is wearing.  It has to be something that really lets you come alive.  Sometimes I get really bored with the 'I bought this because it was on sale' look instead of the 'I bought this because it's really ME' look and I long for a look I feel I really own instead of one that owns me.  Our clothing can shift the way we feel about ourselves and can sometimes even instill a sense of empowerment.  Often when my look owns me, instead of the other way around, I don't feel a strong sense of empowerment.  Now I'm not saying empowerment comes from what we wear.  I'm saying that when we own our look it is often a good indicator that we do feel grounded and empowered and confident.  It could mean we have a strong sense of self...strong enough that we let ourselves explore who we are through what we wear.  It's the inside manifesting itself on the outside.  I'm okay with pajama pants and no make-up on the weekends...and sometimes during the week...and I am wearing a Wonder Woman t-shirt afterall...that's gotta say something for me.  But I also want everything that's stuffed inside--my creativity, my passion, my power, my heart, my unfolding and becoming--to be seen on the outside.  Choosing to dress in a way that expresses all that is trapped inside is one way to accomplish getting the inside outside.

Comments

[pink sky]

keep on shining wonder woman :) i feel your power!

[wendy]

God, you really are so beautiful.

[Kirsten Michelle]

oh my lovely,

i SO don't have "the look"!!!!
i'm desperately hoping that one day...
one day, i'll find a way to express myself in this way ;-)

[daisies]

you are sooo adorable and i love love love the wonder woman t-shirt!!

i have a collection of vintage superhero tees and i often wear them with a ratty tan courderoy men's blazer from the '70s with wide leg pants ~ i have a huge collection of vintage clothing actually, including hats and coats and i team everything with modern new scarves ... i tend to buy pieces i love and will save up for that special piece of clothing. i like to mix my vintage with the new ~ people have always said that i have my own unique style, whether they like it or not, lol. but most of my clothing is sitting in bins in the basement because my twin pregnancy and bedrest and then the loss found me unable to fit into my clothing and losing that was like losing a part of me.

i'm been slowely fitting back into some of my clothing over the past couple of months and it is sort of like re-finding myself and my confidence. reading this post makes me realize that it is less about the weight for me and more about my identity which is wrapped up in what i wear ... wow, what a revelation!

thank you. sorry for writing so much! i think you probably have a style, you just need to add what you LOVE to it and own it. save up for the special pieces that speak to your heart, you are so worth that :) xoxoxox

[Swirly]

For a long time I was a torn jeans and plain white t-shirt kind of girl, but I admit I now enjoy making a bit more effort when I go out, even if it is just to the Farmer's Market. It might be nothing more than a cute t-shirt that matches my flip flops - it isn't about having to be fancy - but in making that effort I just feel a tiny bit more confident and put together. This is sometimes very helpful when I'm having an off day!!

[Melba]

Love this post.
I resonate with every word.
'I bought this because it was on sale' look instead of the 'I bought this because it's really ME'
Yes. I want to buy clothes because they are me.
Yes.

[bella]

I love these photos - you look happy and comfy.
I wish I had a look too. I'm a jean wearing chick. I can vamp it up for a night out - but I'm happy being a cool chick in jeans with my black chucks and a thin cotton top. It's just a comfortable fit for me.

[January]

Love the Wonder Woman T-shirt!

I completely understand what you mean by being owned by a look. For me, how I dress reflects how I feel on the inside. Usually, that's a good thing, but every once in a while, my clothes represent lack of sleep, getting dressed in a hurry, lack of focus, etc.

[Claire]

Hi Michelle,

I just love your comfy look - I think a Wonder Woman t-shirt speaks volumes, it makes you look like you can kick some retro butt.

This topic is so dear to me. I have forever been trying to express myself through clothes and just when I think I am getting there, I look back on what I've worn at times and squirm with embarassment at how I got it so wrong.

Now I expreriment. The other day I wore monochromatic green and enjoyed lots of compliments. I may try it again.

[jenica]

i used to have my own style.

and then i became a mom.

i still have my tie-dye maternity skirt, my urban cowboy hat (not to be confused with the urban sombraro), my business pants... but so often i feel like, *why bother getting dressed seeing that my kids are going to look cuter than me anyway.* or if i do dress up the chances of having a thunderstorm of poop or spit-up are 100%.

i think this is going to be a really fantastic challenge!

[betty]

first: I have a wonder woman tee and it's one of my favorite.
second: I agree with what you say about style and how certain items come to be associated with people. I too wish I had more unique style. I dress pretty much however I want to but there are times that I hesitate over something I'd really like to wear because I'm not sure how it would go over or how someone else would look at it. I know that style is all about pleasing yourself...it's hard to shut up my inner pacifist though :)

[gkgirl]

you are so cute!
:)

and i totally get what you say...
about the associating a look with a person
and about wanting what is inside
to match what you are doing on the outside..
and how it doesn't always happen,
but man,
when it does
you walk so much taller for some reason.

i might join the SPC just for this reason alone...
:)

[kristen]

i totally know what you mean about having a 'look'...i've had looks before, right now i'm trying to reconcile my sahm look, with part-time worker with who i am...it's not easy.

[colorsonmymind]

Michelle-you are so gorgeous! Oh and how I wish I could snuggle up with you and Britton:)

I do relate to what you write here so much-the fact that often I feel frumpy often due to time and that I too would like to have my outside reflect my insides.

BTW I had a dream that I was at art fest and I started to cry (woke up with tears drying on my cheeks) tears of Joy for being able to see you and the rest of the folks I get to see at art fest.

Oh how I wish all the blogsisters were going to be there.

So happy we got to talk yesterday.

Love you like mad
XOXOXO

[Marilyn]

"Choosing to dress in a way that expresses all that is trapped inside is one way to accomplish getting the inside outside." Indeed.

[jessabean]

I feel this way a lot! I envy the women I see every day who just ooze individuality in the way they dress. I too, often feel a little lost in the style department.

But I keep telling myself that it's the words, the images, the products I create that are really important. Doesn't stop me from shopping though...

[deirdre]

I was just thinking about this today, in the middle of housecleaning and cocooning. A sense of style, a flair, something that tells the world who you are...I like the idea.