Hobo Chic. The term was sister has coined to refer to my style of dress. The other day I arrived at a family function and my sister was deeply concerned by my outfit of stockings (on a hot summers day) a t-shirt, flat shoes, lack of makeup and what I like to call natural hair flair. "Mary", she said (why she calls me Mary is a story for another day), "What are you wearing? Is everything okay?". Everything was okay, I had just pulled a mixture of clothing from my cupboard that was comfortable, I did not get a chance to blow-dry my hair and well the makeup had faded. This is not the first time my sister has expressed concern at my dress sense. Now my sister loves shopping. She always has the most beautiful shoes, dresses and latest fashion items. Everyone season she hands over bags of last seasons clothing to me and my sister-in-law Bianca. We love this and get amazing use of our hand-me-down items.
It is not that I do not love fashion- I love beautiful clothing and shoes. It is not that I do not love having my hair done and impeccable nails- it is just that I love other things so much more. Comfort for one. Slip slops are comfortable. Reading for another instead of taking those 45 minutes to blow-dry my hair. Spending sundays relaxing instead of crammed into a busy boisterous shopping centre looking at clothing. And so, I make do with my hobo chic style and feel happy with it. Today for example my sister would be unimpressed. I am wearing a pair of hand-me-down pants of hers- that she handed over about 6 years ago, shoes I bought in London 8 years ago that are good for your feet, a hand-me-down top of hers that is about 3 years old and yes- natural hair.
With fashion is there a right or wrong? Yes I know that a fashion guru somewhere around the world will decide the colour for summer and the world will follow, and I know that some things are really out of fashion because someone said so- and that at the moment I think skulls are the in thing? I think? or was that last season? But me, well I love wearing things that flow, things that make me feel comfortable and natural. I love dressing up in my way- I love my crystal jewellery and how it makes me feel and I don't really care that it doesn't match the rest of my outfit. I love red lipstick and wearing that makes me feel beautiful. I have been known to sometimes leave the house without makeup (Yes-shock- horror) and there is no item of clothing I could love more than my favourite pajamas.
We all wear what we love and what makes us feel good. When we are teenagers there is so much pressure to conform and to wear what is in fashion- we often don't think about what is our fashion. Now, as a lady in her 30's (WOW) I am finding my own fashion style, slowly. It will take a while, and sometimes I do cave to a fashion trend just because, well I do love it. I do own ridiculously high shoes that whenever I wear them my feet suffer but I still wear them. And I will continue to cherish the bags of clothing my sister hands over to me every season- because after-all I remain a girly girl that loves a new item to strut around in!
May you all find your style and may you know that is yours and that it is okay to wear things, because they are in fashion and because you love them but it is also okay to sometimes leave the house with no makeup and in your slippers!
With love and light.
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