Sense of Style

This week the subject of Throwback Thursday is fashion, or in my case the lack of it.

At what age did you become concerned about the clothes you wore? Did you get hand-me-downs or new clothes? Were any of your clothes made by hand? If so, by whom? Were you allowed to select your own clothes and assemble your own ensembles? At what age did you start buying your own wardrobe?

I can’t remember exactly. I had favourite items of clothing as a child but I didn’t take a lot of interest until I was a bit older. I occasionally got hand me downs from an older cousin but not often. I was a big girl and the older cousin closest to my age was a smaller build. Sometimes an aunt made me outfits as a child but not after I went into my teens. I started buying my own clothes when I left school aged 15 and got a job.

What fashion fads did you adopt? Did you have certain colors you loved to wear? Were you of the hippie generation of perhaps a child of the 1980s? What was the wildest or craziest outfit you ever wore?

I’ve always loved red and wore it a lot although as I got older, I began to understand that some reds suited me better than others and that red pants were not a great idea if you had a big bum. I was never into fads that much. I bought a new fashion if I liked it but not if I didn’t. I was a teen in the 70s but not really a hippy. I was still finding my style. I do remember having a pair of tartan pants in the 80s that were a sort of knickerbocker style. They were a dark green tartan and I wore them with an emerald green angora jumper that cost me more than I usually spent on clothes. I loved it.

What about jewelry? Did you have piercings? Were they done by you or by others? What jewelry fads so you remember?

I never had any piercings, not ears, nose, tongue or anything else. I always wore a watch but although I had a few pieces of jewellery I liked I rarely wore it. My favourite was an opal pendant that mum gave me. In fact, I rarely wear jewellery even now. I usually forget about it when I’m getting ready to go out.

Now think about your hairstyles. What cuts did you sport? Did you ever color your hair? Did you try to alter your hair in any other way (cutting, ironing, shaving, curling)?

When I was a small child, I had very curly hair, when I was a schoolgirl mum would put it in sausage curls. I hated the curlers in my hair at night and begged her to stop doing it. After that I wore my hair in a ponytail and later a one plait or two until I was fifteen or sixteen when I got it cut short. Mum had been doing my hair for me up till then and I thought it would be easier for me to do it myself if it was short. Of course, it got curly again and eventually I decided that if I had curly hair, I should just make the most of it and wore it short and curly from my mid to late 20s onwards. I have never coloured my hair even though I had my first grey hairs in my thirties. I made a conscious decision not to do so after seeing a film about hair products being tested on rabbits. I didn’t want animals maimed and killed for my vanity. As much as possible I only use toiletries that have not been tested on animals.

How has your taste changed over the years?

The main way that it has changed is that these days I’d rather be comfortable than fashionable. I don’t wear dresses or skirts now because I don’t like pantyhose. I wear flat shoes because I feel more comfortable in them. I like to wear colours and styles that suit me but I won’t sacrifice my comfort for style.