One of my favorite essays you've written so far. Read it through twice already. I love how you mention that knowing "why you’ve made the choices you’ve made" is important and helpful. That mindset can be so empowering and freeing. Agree completely that it applies to more than personal style. Tibi clothes, your engagment with normal/non fashion people like me, and style class have been a type of "force multiplier" for me!
The more you understand your rationale for the choices you make, the more you believe that others have their own set of rationale for the choices they make.
As an avid tennis player, I loved this analogy and would never have thought to compare it to my personal style. Now that you’ve done that I can totally see the parallels. (You nailed the tennis struggles too haha!)
I appreciate this so much, partly bc it has be thinking about how much more, over the last year or so of reclaiming my own style after a lot of life detours because I kept feeling a need to “fit in” to an environment, I’m also able to reclaim what I want and need in other areas and express it directly. And that made me feel proud!
Personal style is my way of communicating .....that muscle is always at work!!!
Much thanks for such a clear and cohesive piece that plays such an important role to many of us. As usual you've hit the nail on the head, the ball out of the field, such a validation. You are the "clothes whisperer" ......best I could come up with......my hero!!!!
Amy, I’ve learned so much from you — including how to completely trust my own sense of things. I do peek at your and Traci’s IGs for inspiration but mostly now I just know what works for me and I can get dressed and feel spot on in 5 minutes flat, most times something I just put together for my mood and setting. Thank you.
I found the part about understanding yourself leading to understanding others to be so true and profound. If I ever catch myself judging someone else for something, I question where am I holding judgment against myself because self belief, love, and understanding (style or otherwise) truly squashes the judgment against others. Who would think understanding your own style would make one less of an asshole!
Absolutely one of the best — and there have been many — articulations of growing into our personal style, and the merits that expand beyond our sartorial choices. This moment of reckoning is exactly what appears in the last chapter of my fashion essay collection; it was clearly not tennis (although that was a fabulous analogy) but decades of trial and error, including working in fashion, that finally led to my shorthand and natural reflex that has allowed me to sail through aging without second guessing myself or my style.
I enjoyed this so much. Bonus points for Jannik Sinner
One of my favorite essays you've written so far. Read it through twice already. I love how you mention that knowing "why you’ve made the choices you’ve made" is important and helpful. That mindset can be so empowering and freeing. Agree completely that it applies to more than personal style. Tibi clothes, your engagment with normal/non fashion people like me, and style class have been a type of "force multiplier" for me!
Thank you so much, truly appreciate.
The more you understand your rationale for the choices you make, the more you believe that others have their own set of rationale for the choices they make.
This… for dressing. And for life. In general… ♥️
As an avid tennis player, I loved this analogy and would never have thought to compare it to my personal style. Now that you’ve done that I can totally see the parallels. (You nailed the tennis struggles too haha!)
Absolutely agree.
Thank you so much!!!
I appreciate this so much, partly bc it has be thinking about how much more, over the last year or so of reclaiming my own style after a lot of life detours because I kept feeling a need to “fit in” to an environment, I’m also able to reclaim what I want and need in other areas and express it directly. And that made me feel proud!
Right there with you.
Personal style is my way of communicating .....that muscle is always at work!!!
Much thanks for such a clear and cohesive piece that plays such an important role to many of us. As usual you've hit the nail on the head, the ball out of the field, such a validation. You are the "clothes whisperer" ......best I could come up with......my hero!!!!
Amy, I’ve learned so much from you — including how to completely trust my own sense of things. I do peek at your and Traci’s IGs for inspiration but mostly now I just know what works for me and I can get dressed and feel spot on in 5 minutes flat, most times something I just put together for my mood and setting. Thank you.
I found the part about understanding yourself leading to understanding others to be so true and profound. If I ever catch myself judging someone else for something, I question where am I holding judgment against myself because self belief, love, and understanding (style or otherwise) truly squashes the judgment against others. Who would think understanding your own style would make one less of an asshole!
Completely agree, Asta!
Absolutely one of the best — and there have been many — articulations of growing into our personal style, and the merits that expand beyond our sartorial choices. This moment of reckoning is exactly what appears in the last chapter of my fashion essay collection; it was clearly not tennis (although that was a fabulous analogy) but decades of trial and error, including working in fashion, that finally led to my shorthand and natural reflex that has allowed me to sail through aging without second guessing myself or my style.