Along with holiday cheer, endless shopping and family gatherings galore, December often brings with it a lot of stress. Though merry and bright, the holiday season culminates with a fresh new year, and for many of us, it’s a time to reflect on the past as well as look forward to the future. I’ve often fallen into the December trap of high, highs and low, lows, as a new year can be a reminder of every goal I did and did not accomplish. This year brings with it a triple whammy of reflection—not only is a new year on the horizon, but a new decade as well, and to top it off, this year I’ll turn 30. If I’m being honest I’ve been in sort of a tizzy the last few weeks about all of these coming changes, and where I am at in my life. I’ve been trying to remind myself that it really is just another year. I’ll very well be just the same when the calendar switches over to 1/1/2020. One thing that has evolved very much though is my style and fashion sense, and that’s a very fun (and much less heavy) topic to discuss!
10 years ago I was just 19 years old and a student in college, so you can imagine that my sense of fashion was very different than it is now. You might think that my daily carry was a sturdy backpack that took me from class to class, but you’d be very wrong! I attended a fashion college, which as you’d expect is very different from a ‘regular’ college campus. Our campus was the city streets of NYC and rolling out of bed and rushing to class in my pajamas was not an option. I paid a lot of attention to my outfits, but in a much different way than I do now. While I’ll always pay attention to the details of an outfit as well as the outfit’s overall look, back then my style was completely different. I was very into classic pieces like tailored blazers, girly dresses, knee-high boots and turtleneck sweaters. It was the age of Gossip Girl and despite my long blonde hair and tall stature, I identified more as a Blair than a Serena. I was younger and more impressionable back then, and I wore more of what I saw in the media than what I put together in my head. My daily bag was either a Louis Vuitton Speedy or my Dior Saddle Bag, which by that time was out of style (how ironic!), plus a tote for my school books.
Though my style has done a complete 180, I still own some of the same pieces that I owned 10 years ago, but the way I wear them has changed a lot. Most of that comes from how I finish off my look—my bags, shoes, and coats are what complete my style these days. I dress simpler and more minimal, basic jeans, bodysuits, and sweaters and then finalize my look from there. These days I’m way more casual and I never imagined that I would own so many sneakers!
Bag wise my collection has grown immensely in the last ten years, and I’m sure many bag lovers can relate when I say that 20-30 are pivotal years for handbag lovers, although you can correct me if I’m wrong. It’s possible I’ll say the same thing about my thirties. What I mean though, is that it was during these years where I transitioned from relying on my parents for almost everything to relying completely on my own finances. I learned early on that I had to work for what I wanted, and the only premium designer bag I was ever gifted was my Speedy, which I got for my high school graduation. Over the last decade I’ve added bags from Chloé, Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Mansur Gavriel, Gucci and more to my closet. I love the way I dress now and I truly feel the most confident I’ve ever felt in my skin. Though a lot of that comes from the inside, loving what you wear and how you wear it is a big part of that too.
Style is such a personal and intimate thing, which is what makes it so interesting and fun. If I’ve learned anything about fashion in the last decade it’s that it’s often ever-changing and when it comes to trends one should never say never. As I look forward to the 2020s and my thirties I hope I continue to grow into my own, which to me means wearing what I want to wear and how I want to wear it, regardless of what trends or others say. And though of course I wish for the health and happiness of my family and friends above all else this decade, I also see some vintage Chanel in my future, and maybe, just maybe, a Mini Kelly by the time I turn 40.
How has your style evolved over the last ten years, and where do you see it going in the next ten?
What a fun review, Kaitlin!
For myself, my style hasn’t changed so much – my most comfortable attire remains to be dresses, cardigans, blazers, etc. and luckily bags I purchased years ago are largely still loved today. However my relationship with style has evolved where I dress for myself, even if others might disapprove or feel like I dress too fancy for our smaller town.
One thing that has changed is my ability to wear heels – ankle injuries combined with pregnancies and plantar fasciitis (super sexy) mean 4 inch heels are out of the question and shoe mechanics are a real consideration. However, there are enough solid low-heel and flat options that I don’t feel like I need to sacrifice style (but I do sacrifice a bit of heel sexiness).
I love that you dress for yourself. I do too more so now than ever and it’s the best feeling. I wear what I want, when I want! Sometimes that means a dress to a sports bar, but other times I’m dressed down when others are dressed up. Owning what you wear is what matters most!
I feel over time I found the brands I desire more. I am 42, so I tend to finish off an outfit with a bag. I sometimes rotate daily, other times keep using a bag for weeks. I do so much more research on a bag than I did in my 20s (but that may be due to technology). I’m not here for the it bag of the moment and look for longevity of use.
one constant,Black 35cm phw Birkin a bag i wear not because its a BIRKIN ! but because its so very very practical and beautiful and has aged perfectly. as i belive i have LOL.
It really would be better to have pictures and included in the articles.
Really digging the painting!