“ I’ve been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn and a king…”
I’m betting almost everyone recognizes the lyrics from Frank Sinatra’s hit song “That’s Life.”
Evolution. Transition. Change.
I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the many phases of life we move through and how they affect our dress and personal style. Some changes are obvious and life changing — for example, a geographic move or the birth of a child. More often change is a gradual unfolding of events in our day-to-day experience, a slow evolution whose cumulative effects can be startling over time.
Recently, a client called me and was perplexed that her closet was full but she felt as though she had nothing to wear. A wardrobe analysis revealed how far away she had moved from her former self and life circumstances. She barely recognized the seemingly insignificant changes at the time, and the more impactful ones were moderated by a naturally resilient and optimistic personality that relegated them to “just my life.” She hung onto her clothes through the transitions, however, which gave her a sense of stability and continuity. She was shocked to realize almost none of her clothing expressed who she is NOW. Although her fundamental style had not changed, the way it is expressed had.
After our review… Gone are the clothes that no longer fit. Gone are the structured and conservative suits, jackets and dresses for a career in which she is no longer involved. Gone, too, are the items inappropriate for the new climate and culture in which she is now living as a wife and partner to her husband. She now has a new wardrobe that is true to her fundamental self — her style — but expressed appropriately for her new roles and environment.
As the song says, change is the only constant “… ‘cause this fine old world, it keeps spinnin’ around…” Embrace changes in your wardrobe as a constant by being true to yourself and keeping your style Purely Personal.
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