What’s your personal fashion history? As fashion trends have come and gone, which ones have resonated with you over the years? (That might not be the same question as which ones actually looked good on you.)
Which ones did you wear gladly? Which ones did you wear that you shouldn’t have worn. What fashion history do you fervently hope does not repeat itself? “Big hair” of the 80’s comes to my mind.
It can be fun(ny) to provide others with a personal fashion history or retrospective. I’m not talking about just cutting out old magazine covers, though they can provide inspiration. (See M. Howsom’s Vogue Cover Pinterest Board) Write yourself into the story. What did you wear? What were you required to wear? Did you think you were “all that” at the time? What do you think now?
Show and tell your personal fashion history
Dig out those old photos. If you don’t have any, draw or use stock photos. (Pinterest is a great place to find nostalgia pictures. Just search using “#nostalgia.”) When all else fails, describe in detail. Great detail.
Include fashion extremes
Yes, these are men’s shoes.
I have friend whose father was quite the ladies’ man in his day. She recently found a pair of his size 14 shoes from the 70’s in his basement—white platform disco shoes. You can be sure that she and her brothers will be telling stories about those shoes for quite a while.
Dress codes
In a recent post, Jan Goldfield stated, “When I was an undergrad at Michigan State University women could not wear pants on campus. In Michigan where temps reach below zero in the winter. We had to dress for dinner.” More importantly, she points out that men had no such rules.
What dress codes did you have? Did you have religious or parental restrictions?
Case in point
Hairstyles
Nothing marks one’s personal fashion history like hairstyles do. My sister, my cousins and I often wonder what possessed our mothers to trim our bangs so short. We also remember desperately trying to look like Jacqueline Smith in the 80’s. Only now that we’re firmly in middle age is our stick-straight hair in style.
Undergarments
Thankfully, corsets and girdles fell out of use before I came along. Older women, however, remember them. Do you remember things like actual nylons? Slips? Garters? Do tell!
Shoes and Accessories
Shoes and accessories often made the fashion history. Did you wear hats? How many did you own? Ever own a mood ring? (Do you still?) Love beads? Add-a-beads? What about electric blue eye-shadow? Cat-eye glasses (now or then)?
So what’s your fashion history? Comment below. I won’t tell anyone. Promise.
© Laura Hedgecock 2013
