When you were in school did you get new clothes for the start of the school year?
We did. At least one new outfit.
Fall Fashion Reinvention
I remember to this day the very outfit I wore to my first day of grade one at school because it was the first time I owned
brand.
new.
clothes.
Clothes that my Grandma hadn’t sewn. Clothes that we bought from a real store and that I had helped pick out.
It was a yellow short sleeve ribbed sweater with a red elephant on it in satin and some bell bottom jeans. I LOVED that outfit!
I can remember the anticipation and excitement of meeting all those new kids wearing something that I felt represented me as a person.
I was going to be someone special wearing that red elephant! I would make friends easier. Everyone would like me!
Every year thereafter the first day of school was always devoted to choosing the perfect outfit that would best represent myself as I desired to be seen. The chance to create a new first impression. It was an opportunity to become the person I aspired to be.
Would I go for understated plaid? Or the same bomber jacket as everyone else with a hoodie underneath? Did I want to blend in or stand out? Did I want to be a nerd or a jock? Where did I fit in and how would my clothing ensure that I was accepted?
I’m sure it won’t surprise you that after grade six (maybe even earlier) I didn’t want to blend in. I was on my own path and I wasn’t part of any cliques. By high school that meant skinny jeans (we just called them tight back then ha ha!) blue suede fringed boots, a boho blouse and a fake fur super shaggy sheepskin vest. That was grade ten and I haven’t looked back since.
When September rolls around my palms get a bit sweaty and I feel the itch to buy something new and try to reinvent myself or showcase a different aspect of my personality to the world.
Who doesn’t want to give a new first impression of themselves?
Who doesn’t want to see themselves with fresh eyes?
Giving yourself the permission to experiment and play with clothing allows you to escape the you that you know and discover the you that you’d like to know.
If you haven’t had a chance to listen yet to Mel’s fabulous series of interviews on 60 and Me (there are five of them) I highly recommend them.
This might be my favourite one so far… Exploring the Power of Simple Black White and Grey With Mel Kobayashi. I really like the bit at the 8:35 mark. All of the interviews are great though. Mel is a natural and so wonderful to watch and listen to. I might add she hasn’t paid me a dime to write that…yet! Ha ha!
I will admit that I went a bit overboard and picked up a few other very weird cool pieces for my new identity. Toys to be played with and utilized for creating joy in my wardrobe.
It is my UNcapsule wardrobe for fall.
Only items that made my heart smile or stimulated me to see myself differently but still work with items I already own were considered.
I’ll be sharing a few more pieces that made the cut with you soon.
Do you feel the calling to buy new clothes in fall and reinvent yourself?
Linking up with the lovely Patti over at Visible Monday.
Clothes call to me all the time – I just HATE buying retail. It is like gambling, it may be fun at the time but then when you’ve lost your money, you get cranky.
We always had one new outfit for school … and that was it. Thrifting then was not like it is now – clothes were ugly and smelled odd.
I am enjoying your fun poses ~
I also hate gambling!
Thrifting is my preferred method of shopping without a doubt.
I can remember when I made fun of my brother for buying stuff from garage sales. Yes, I’ve come full circle on that for sure.
I’m trying hard to mix up my poses. I’m in poser training from Melanie. I will never achieve her level of greatness when it comes to modelling poses though. My face doesn’t have that many expressions.
Loving this look on you Suzanne, you look really tall and leggy in these shots.
I suppose it’s a bit different here in the UK as kids have to wear school uniforms, so I actually didn’t like the first day back at school because I didn’t like the uniform! I was a tomboy happy in slouchy casual stuff, but at my school the girls had to wear skirts/dresses. I was very geeky and non-trendy, so all my clothes were from ‘uncool’ stores like Clarks and M&S (both of which I love now, funnily enough).
Starting meteorological autumn with a new outfit sounds great to me though 😉 x
The legginess came from the height of those heels that I decided were too tall. Ah well.
I’m SO HAPPY we didn’t have to wear school uniforms. I would have hated that.
I love that you encourage people to play with fashion 🙂
It has become one of my favourite forms of creativity although I should get back to some painting and drawing.
Who doesn’t want to show themselves off to the world?! Love this post, especially the personal history. Your school anecdote makes the point. I also associate this time of year with new clothes. P.S., that beautiful chair is getting plenty of good use!
Yes…that awesome estate sale chair : P
Love this and I can see the energy you got from the new, un capsule! Love the boots, but very glad you traded them for ones that will not require general anethesia. Great poses of you in the chair! Go Suzanne! I will read Mels interview thanks for the reminder, it has been hectic here in the city… best i do some shopping!
xo, Elle
http://www.theellediaries.com/
Ha ha! When things get hectic go shopping! I think you need that on a tee : )
Always had a new outfit for the first day of school …. and have continued the tradition with my own children.
Like your idea of finding an outfit for myself, that will express myself … or try something new and reinvent myself …… anyway, I have a reason to go shopping now!
I don’t want to be an enabler but I always encourage people to thrift : )
Discovering a new you via thrifted outfits is just plain fun. Even more fun if you can do it with girlfriends!
Don’t you look fab? Shame about the boots but I’m all about comfort, too – the longer I can put off the next hip replacement the better and if that means sacrificing the heels then so be it!
Like Porcelina we UK kids had a school uniform so didn’t get new clothes in September.
I don’t ever get the need to reinvent myself, I quite like who I am! I love the clothes I already own but can happily add a few more if i stumble across an amazing vintage dress or piece of crazy tribal jewellery on my travels! xxx
I’m not surprised you feel no need to reinvent the wheel ; P You’re great where you’re at.
I am too but sometimes I feel like mixing it up a bit. I think that is part of being creative. Always changing, evolving and experimenting.
I had a grandma who sewed my clothes too and, although I can’t remember my first shop bought outfit, I do remember nagging my Mum for clothes from C&A just like my very trendy new classmate. That was when I was seven. I do remember my Mum and me going to Antwerp on the bus in the last week of the holidays, and buying new clothes. Although September does feel like a fresh start to – probably because I am celebrating my birthday then – strangely enough it does not involve reinventing myself … It does not involve buying new clothes either, as I am picking up new (to me!) pieces throughout the year. xxx
Well normally I also spend all of my time and money in thrift stores. Thrift stores are so much more interesting than regular retail stores.
After I lost a lot of weight two years ago, I went through a huge reinvention with my wardrobe. Now I feel like I continually go through mini ones. At least one a season! I love to play with different looks and styles. I don’t think I ever stopped being that 5 year old playing dress up and pretending to be someone new! Great post!
I love that you use your clothing to play as an adult! It is a great creative outlet.
Your transformation and story are incredible and quite the inspiration.
I totally understand the love of buying clothing as opposed to having them made for you, Suzanne! Especially at that young age. Of course, now I enjoy the clothes my mom makes me (usually–ha ha)!!
And it’s true, what you wear does tell others what you are on the inside and it’s been totally fun to experiment!!
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
How many people now are actually lucky enough to have clothes made for them? So many people would love that now!
Plus your Mom isn’t sewing you any plaid pantsuits which is what I remember my Grandma sewing for us. Always pantsuits and elastic waists with elastic cuffs that had scratchy lace on them. Ha ha! Oh yeah. Those were the days.
Your Mom is very chic.
BTW…I am getting something custom made for me. It’s all very hush hush and coming from Russia. I’m so excited! I hope I have it in time to take to Seattle.
You have crawled inside my brain – again – Suzanne. New clothes/September, they go hand in hand. I love that you remember your grade 1 outfit. I do remember my very first pair of jeans, though. I wore them to grade 9, GWGs. My mum never allowed them. !!! So I would have looked longingly at your jeans. Most of my things were sewn by my mum or hand-me-downs, and I looked longingly at K-mart, and the Sears catalogue was a bible. Now I cherish the hand-mades – and the hand-me-downs, except I have to pay for them now! Hahaha!
Thank you for the shout-out about the interviews! The cheque is in the mail. Hahaha!!
I never had jeans till grade one either.
It is very scary being in your brain Mel! Ha ha! But lots of cool parties going on all the time and I really like chatting with that groovy cat (literally a cat).
My dearest Suzanne, I’m a shopaholic and any time of year you’ll find me grappling with my aspiring self and her need for something new! Like you, I tend to mix new with vintage/preloved to make it truly unique. Your recent insta-shot with those neon yellow sock boots only served to rekindle my desire for the red ones I’d been lusting after for the past month – too late, I’ve just found them again on eBay and this time I’ve bought them.
I’m off to listen to Mel’s interviews, thanks for the tip!
Anna x
I bought the red ones too. Yikes!
We can have duelling posts of the red boots ; P
My Grandmother and my Mother sewed a lot of my clothes, and the only new stuff I got was from the Sears Catalogue. We did make a trip to “the big city” at the beginning of each school year when I was in high school so I could get some new clothes. I always dressed less casually than my classmates, and our very weird accounting teacher voted me the Best Dressed in his class. Fall still makes me want to buy something new, especially since I work at a University, so for me, September is the start of a new year.
Ha ha! I love your accounting teacher!
What did you buy for yourself new for the start of this school year other than the makeup?
There was ALWAYS the tradition of school shopping and I would usually get a couple of new things plus some new shoes. I’m sure that as an only child I ended up with a couple items beyond the typical amount that most kids got. This time of year is definitely associated with fashion for me.
Like you I have pretty vivid memories of items of clothing and the love I felt for them. I was passionate for a rust orange, corduroy jumper at age four. It was fabulous with the shirt that had a giraffe on the pocket. At 13 I was desperate for a mohair sweater. We vacationed in Canada in August and I got one from a huge Canadian department store in Winnipeg! It was white, very fuzzy, and fit my mom too! 🙂
You look so beautiful lounging in that chair, sporting your cute new boots and embroidered bomber. This is a familiar version of you Suzanne. It may not be vintage, but it’s fun, and it’s in the spirit of TRADITION! (sung like the Fiddler on the Roof song!)
I can totally see why you fell for that jumper. Anything with a giraffe on the pocket is awesome!
Wow! You went to the Peg! Capital of the largest mosquitos in the world. Ha ha!
Mohair is so fuzzy and warm.
It is funny but when I had my other business in scrapbooking most of the other manufacturers I knew were surprised when I showed up one year all dressed up to work the trade shows. They were used to seeing me in a t-shirt with an advertising slogan for my company and a baseball cap with another advertising slogan for my company. They didn’t know that I didn’t dress that way normally. They were all shocked. I think I’ve always been one to mix it up. Otherwise life gets boring. Keep ’em guessing I say!
Ths might be the reinvented Suzanne. But it is still very you. I love the putdit, jeans girl that I am.
Greetje