ladymercury_10prompted:core elements of your personal aesthetic both ideally and in practicePersonal style is a journey, and mine led me from childhood faux pas (the year I refused to wear anything but stretchy pants with stirrups) to obsessive dressing up (countless photographs exist of tiny me lounging in old bridesmaids dresses we inherited because I obviously wanted to be a princess) to frumpitude (the less said the better) to being a teenage mall goth (the less said the better) to even more extreme frumpitude (not my fault; I got a HIDEOUS Mrs. Brady haircut by accident and did not know how to cope) to overcompensating with a hyper-feminine aesthetic so that I could feel like people thought I was pretty (too real?). Not to say I am not very girly by nature – I am – but I was def trying to prove something back then.
I find that the older I get more interested I am in being comfortable ALL THE TIME, like many old ladies – yet also a nice throwback to the seven year old who only wore stretchy pants. I used to wear heels ALWAYS, everywhere, like I was known in high school for wearing friggen stilettos to class and I had a classmate in college who referred to me exclusively as Heels, but at this point in my life I legit have forgotten how to walk in them because I just want to wear flats all the time forever. It’s actually been something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately: worrying that I am letting down my tiny self with how boring and basic I am. I thought I would be so much freakier and cooler when I was old! I thought it would be all sequins and falsies like a showgirl! I suppose there is still time, but I am actively trying to make my tiny self proud in small ways: sparkly tops, the occasional black lipsticked errands.
Some of the links are broken, but I did a kind of similar image spam post last time I did this.
I would say I still function under the same essential goals. I like a manageable throwback aesthetic centered around the 50s/60s/90s – or, more specifically, I love that subgenre of style in the 90s that was heavily 50s influenced, so you got all these high waisted pants and little skirts and flip hairdos and fuzzy sweaters. Jennifer Tilly in Bound is one of my big style inspos, because she essentially dresses like a pinup girl rendered in a goth 90s color scheme. Fran Fine is another eternal inspo. Also Joan Holloway!!!! And lately Alicia Vikander in The Man From UNCLE!!!! Omg and I’m also ALL ABOUT late 60s/early 70s Liz Taylor. Okay now I’m just yelling.
Ideally I would probably push a harder 60s look but I tend to reserve it for fancy occasions and/or days when I just feel like putting All the Eyeliner upon my face. The 60s are a good time for my body shape, too; like many young girls who love Old Hollywood I filtered through many starlet phases. Audrey was first but ultimately unsustainable because I am not built in the way that can carry those very tailored, boxy looks; I moved on to Marilyn, which is a lot closer to how I am actually built and therefore easier to steal from (look at this humblebrag rn; spoiler alert I do not look anything like Marilyn Monroe); now I am latching on to late 60s Liz because she is probs much closer still. I HAVE BIG BOOBS is where I’m going with that. The 50s were a forgiving time for my people.
(I am decade jumping like a maniac.)
I used to wear a lot of dresses and stockings but I don’t really anymore. I’m too lazy. I like ankle boots and high waisted jeans (a necessity, I am SO GLAD the days of relentless low rise jeans are mostly behind us). I cannot abide sleeves so I am often very cold. I like huge sweaters with leggings like Liza Minelli. Faux leather! In the summer I probably am more of a dress wearer, in addition to Daisy Dukes and my newly discovered love of crop tops!!! I was always too shy and uncomfortable before but I finally took the plunge this year and became ADDICTED. I like leopard print anywhere I can find it and also giant faux fur coats. A fair amount of color; I don't wear a ton of black by nature but I also have a dog who leaves a fine layer of grayish fur on anything, making the owning of black clothing a struggle. Gold jewelry, ranging from delicate to costumey. MAKEUP. Big curly hair. Long oval nails.
So in summation: casual Joan Holloway timetraveled to 1998. That’s the goal.