My high school senior year a switch flipped, and I stopped trying to make everybody else like me and decided to like myself. My look changed from inoffensive pastels, white Peter Pan collars and jumpers, hair kept shortish and "done", pink lipstick and a pat of powder to black, miniskirts, pointy boots, wide eyeliner, and long straight hair. Tiny tasteful jewelry was replaced with statement pieces, and the soft-spoken, easily-cowed personality grew a backbone.
I maintained my "look"--with updates and mods--through college and a brief career as an army officer's wife, *not* popular with the other wives or superior officers, as you might imagine. My downfall was two babies in less than a year. Getting myself showered, shampooed and decently covered with any regularity was an achievement, and by the time they were both in school, I'd got out of the habit of having a "look." Corporate conformity was necessary for employment, though I did lapse into less conforming outfits from time to time. I still have not reinstated a "look". But I wear what I like, what I feel comfortable in, and figure my personality is colorful enough to define me. In another life, perhaps I'd have been sartorially stronger.
I feel like I'm in drag if I wear straight-up girly clothes.
I think my only real "statement" in high school was having very short hair, like pixie short, in an era of big perms.
figure my personality is colorful enough to define me
That's where I've gotten to. I can't afford to have a "look".
I think my only real "statement" in high school was having very short hair, like pixie short, in an era of big perms.
Mine was the opposite-- long, straight, waist-length hair in that same era of the big perm.
my mother picked out my clothes until I was in college
I am actually a Lazy!Goth.
If this is a real term I am totally co-opting it for my own purposes.
I was fairly Goth starting in Grade 8 (started Punk, slid to Goth on discovery), and went more into funky/hippie/eclectic as time progressed. I still self-identify as Goth, though of the BohoCrunchyLazy variety.
I am actually a Lazy!Goth.
If this is a real term I am totally co-opting it for my own purposes.
Awwww! It is a real term, and one I apply to, oh, two-thirds of the Seattle scene, actually.
Look at all you people, talking about my book! Eeeee! I'm very glad you all seem to like it.
The problem with being a Lazy!Goth in NYC, unfortunately, is that everyone else is also wearing all black all the time too.
Hence, I need to redye my hair.
