I have never really been one to obsess over my personal style. At least not until age 16, when I became uber-aware of my outfit choices, and I finally had some fashion freedom. Here is a deep dive into my personal style evolution, from fun, to trendy to back again:
The Childhood Years
Me in my ombre era/Erin Jardine
Blue on blue on more blue/Erin Jardine
Very 2011/Erin Jardine
When I was young, I was always dressed in durable and well-lasting clothes so I was ready to play at all times. In my youngest years, I enjoyed displaying a sense of girliness and feminity in everything I wore. A lot of flowy dresses, sandals, pink, purple and teals inhabited my wardrobe. This shifted throughout my older childhood years as I became a lot more outdoorsy and tomboyish through my inclusion in clubs like Scouts, in which I had to spend a good chunk of my time in muddy fields and forests. A transition from that playful feminity to jeans and trainers was inevitable. While I can’t deny that my mam had extremely good taste, I must admit I don’t think a lot of it would match my style today.
The Secondary School Years
A LOT of floral and big glasses combos/Erin Jardine
Following everyone else’s trends/Erin Jardine
Whilst I would love to purge my secondary school self from my memory, she is a large step to where I am today. I was still quite individual in my style when I started secondary school. I hadn’t quite transitioned to party dresses and Nike Pros yet. However, throughout the years I started to feel more insecure around my peers so I began to follow the trends of the time.
My wardrobe became a lot of leggings, cropped boxy T-shirts and denim jackets. It was like fitting a uniform, not just in school but outside of it too. This made me doubt my sense of identity and I struggled to express myself in all aspects of life, as I wasn’t being honest in my style.
The Beginning of Fashion Freedom
Vibrant colours return?/Erin Jardine
Back to florals/Erin Jardine
Double Pink/Erin Jardine
In recent years, I have been able to experiment again. An independent college meant no uniform and no more conformity. I’ve learnt how much I enjoy experimenting with different colours and bringing just that small amount of fun and whimsy to my wardrobe. My style, however, still varies.
I dye my hair bright colours regularly so I have to give my wardrobe a rearrange to fit the new colours of my hair. As I attend a lot of gigs and festivals, I opt for a very comfortable and movable style. This often involves a lot of versatility in my outfits to match the weather; so I always have something that would still look cute with a jacket or raincoat over it!
What’s your personal style? Let us know @Fashion_North
