dressing to reflect your life no.4

the how to guides

Photo credit. Margit Bantowsky Unsplash

change is the only constant

‘Fashion’ is notorious for being weird and fickle. Skin-tight one year, purple the next, unwearable, dull, great for you, awful for you, and so many other things. The overriding thing about fashion is that it is forever changing. It plays an enormous part in the economy of a vast number of countries, and the financial contribution that fashion makes, in the broadest sense, is driven by that change.

I know we probably all have clothes that we still wear that might be considered unfashionable. Indeed, in the last few years there have been no appreciable trends to render ‘last years’ clothes out of date. Although fashion doesn’t change like it did in previous decades, there are more gradual and subtle variations in the way people dress. Take the recent trend of working from home and the subsequent rise of luxury athleisure wear, something that would have seemed a bizarre concept even 10, 20 or 30 years ago.

It is not just the subtleties of the way we dress that changes, we ourselves change and I think it is important to keep reflecting the life and the body you have now. Sometimes these changes can be dramatic, and sometimes we hardly notice. Whether it is your weight that has fluctuated, your hair and your colouring has altered, or you’ve just decided to change your image, things rarely stay exactly the same for long. Perhaps your life circumstances have altered, or you are simply a few years older than you were when you last had a proper look at your image and your clothes. Whatever your personal circumstance, change is all around us.

Trying to hold back this undeniable fact is something that many people attempt to do, but all the effort (and often expense) can be very dispiriting and time consuming. It can also stop you from being creative and experimenting with new ideas and looks that might better support your life journey. Instead of attempting to keep things as they were at some random age, by embracing new styles, new technology, new innovations, and new ideas, you move with the times and your image remains current and grows with you.

In the long run this approach can be much more ageless and creates an image that is easier to maintain. You have much more flexibility and scope for creativity. The gradual changes in your appearance can mean that your new style experiences are less stressful, and the results more rewarding as you embrace your new approach to life. Relaxing your grip and going with the flow rather than trying to look like the person you were many years ago, might seem scary, but why not experiment and see where it leads you. You can always revert to your previous approach if it feels better for you.

Continues in No.5…

All rights reserved. Milly Churchill asserts the right to be identified as the author of this work.