My outfit posts are a lie (sort of)

Gemma recently did a post on the history of her outfit shots, and how it showed her personal style changing and evolving. It was fascinating. (Annoyingly, I can't seem to find it to link directly to it.) As someone who's floundered a bit with style since my early 30s, which was when I stopped dressing as gothily as I had in my 20s, I was interested to see how my look had evolved on my blog. I don't feel as though I'm floundering so much any more, and I do feel as though I have a more coherent look – but would this be reflected in my photos? A quick check back surprised me rather.


Revelation 1
I still own quite a lot of the things I've been photographed wearing. That surprised me as I feel as though I've changed the way I dress quite radically over the past five years – I haven't been to any steampunk events for a couple of years, and I've come to realise that the period that suits me is later than that preferred by most of the vintage bloggers I started out following (and who, along with the films I loved, inspired my early purchases). However, the photos are of blog-friendly clothes. I haven't replaced many of my 1920s-40s vintage/repro pieces, I've added 1950s-60s bits to them, so I've got a great proportion of later vintage to choose from now. Also, you don't know the more modern pieces I've worn out/got rid of as you never saw them in the first place.

You can't beat a good woolly.

Here's my first outfit photo. I made that green jumper, and I still wear it. The brooch lost its pearl in a trip through the washing machine, but I plan to fix it when I can find a non-drilled pearl bead. Some other clothes from around the same time are still favourites too: the jacket from my tweed suit gets regular outings, and I still love my black skirt and jacket. I will be genuinely bereft when my beloved purple tweed dress becomes unwearable, because it's soooo reliable for work and the pleated area at the neckline is perfect for showing off a good brooch.
From 2013. Jacket, brooch dress and bag are still favourites!

Revelation 2
A lot of the garments I show you here don't get many outings in real life. Some are too fancy for everyday wear, such as the brown lace suit. I'd already worked that out from my spreadsheet, and have been buying more 'everyday' clothing this year. The other reason quite a few things I own don't get worn is that they are now a tad too tight, and get left in the wardrobe more often. I need to decide whether to shape up or ship those clothes out.

Revelation 3
I've never shown you some of my favourite things. Possibly it's because they're not 'special' or 'vintage' enough to warrant a photo shoot. My navy and white polkadot jersey dress, for example. And I always wear trousers on Sunday as I have to walk to and from my burlesque class and I feel safer and less noticeable that way but I never show you my Sunday clothes. My me-made navy cardigan is probably the item I've worn most over the past couple of years.
I wear this dress/cardi combo all the time in summer.

Just to show you some everyday looks, I've taken some photos of myself in work outfits.

Winter workwear...
Boden blouse and chazza trousers; me-made cardi and old Collectif dress. Is that what you expected? I'm not sure it will really matter to you whether my outfit posts are giving you a skewed idea of what I wear – I'm just one of the people who lives in your computer, and if we ever meet in real life it will probably be at an event and therefore I will be dressed up pretty much like on the blog.

If you've got a blog, do you show your everyday clothing regularly? I know Vix, Curtise and Goody do. Perhaps I should take a leaf out of their books...

Comments

  1. I love that idea that you live in my computer! It's like that Kate Bush song, 'Deeper Understanding'!!

    I really enjoyed seeing these everyday snippets. I went through a phase of doing weekly roundups of my working wardrobe but stopped doing it as I felt I was showing boring things (and then it got dark and wintery, and it was too much effort to keep my bedroom tidy...). It's great for aiding a wardrobe cull though, I ditched loads of stuff that I photographed during that time!!

    I love the Collectif dress and cardi combo the best, really nips in your waist.
    x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I keep thinking of ditching the Collectif dress as it's not really my style, then realising how much I wear it and keeping it. The cardigan matches it perfectly. Plus the crepe fabric never needs ironing, which is just a massive bonus.

      Delete
  2. Thank you for sharing this, I also enjoyed Gemma's post. I don't really do many pictures of me in clothes (I'm allergic to having my picture taken.) so mine all appear on hangers! I don't know that my style has changed as such, I've certainly got a lot fatter which has had an effect on what I wear that's for sure. If anything I find I am wearing more colour and patterns.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think bigger frames can take more pattern - we're less likely to be overwhelmed by it.

      Delete
  3. What you post is, I suppose what you feel your blog to be about. If you're a vintage collector, then the posts will tend to reflect that. I'm more of a bargain vintage lover, so what you see comes almost exclusively from thrifts-I don't have a specific time frame, though I prefer the 70's.

    If I could knit as beautifully as you do (yes you do!) I'd be posting every single thing that came off the needles. You mix modern, handmade, and vintage into your own style that is lovely, and unlike what you see walking down the street on any given day.

    A well-put together outfit is a joy, no matter the style/era. If you get up each morning and have a "kid on Christmas morning" feeling as you select clothes YOU wish to wear (not what the rest of the sheep bought at H&M so they could look like their friends in identical outfits) then to hell with anyone that doesn't like it.

    I'm sure your everyday clothing is far more interesting than you think it is. I'd love to see your informal outfits. And more of that knitting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heh, I knit too slowly to have many knits to blog. Though Vix did give me a FAB 1960s pattern that I'm going to make for myself once I've got Cate's tank top off the needles.

      You will probably understand this - the perfume is the thing that I linger over longest choosing each morning! Clothes are just for the body, but perfume dresses the mood...

      Delete
  4. I think it's interesting to look at how you've changed over the years and be reflective about it. I guess as bloggers we're lucky we can do this as most people don't have anything in print that they can compare themselves to.

    It's great to see that you still have things you wore several years ago, it's always fab to have those all time favourite pieces that you dread the day they just fall apart. I also love seeing the different knitwear you've produced. More of that please!

    Lastly, I have to mention the photo of you with shorter hair. I absolutely love that style on you! I bet it would look amazing now on your red hair. x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There will be no more knitwear for me until I have finished the Very Important Project I am working on ;-) (Thank you for being patient with me for being such a slow knitter!)

      I am seriously considering getting my hair chopped. I'm not really enjoying the length, and I fancy going back to brown, so cutting it would get rid of a lot of the red.

      Delete
  5. I love this post, it gives me a true feel of what's in your wardrobe and what you enjoy wearing.
    Like me, you're partial to a cheery print - that Boden top is fab. Your knitting is wonderful and that's coming from a woman who doesn't own a jumper or a cardi. The winter workwear cardi is stunning, the perfect length and shape to show off your figure.
    Have you tried the lace coat from the fabulous suit over your black trousers? xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My mum liked that Boden top too. I fell in love with the print as soon as I saw it (and then waited until the price was reduced, because I can't afford their stuff at full price). They do some of the best prints around - their 60s-style prints and Seasalt's deco ones really appeal to me.

      I'm not sure I'd pair the brown lace coat with anything but its dress, though if I had a satin blouse in a toning colour it might work. I'm not very good at matching separates, hence I tend to stick to dresses.

      Delete
  6. If you're living my computer shouldn't you be paying rent?

    Your style has definitely evolved since Lampy, unlike mine!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dude, it's full of half-written novels in here. I'm not paying rent till you finish them.

      Delete
  7. Happy Saturday, Mim!
    Finally, enough time to write my thoughts on this post - and this post has gotten me thinking, as a matter of fact! :)
    I'm glad that you braved out this world, and decided to start sharing your outfit posts, and publish images of yourself. It's a major issue for most of us, knowing "it's time" to let the world see us. And, mind me say, I like seeing you, despite the thing that you yourself constantly shy away from being praised.. There's nothing wrong with the way you look - quite the contrary, you have a figure and should show it. :)
    As someone who enjoys the entire culture of the era gone by, my personal blog does not revolve around clothes much (and, to tell the truth: there's not much clothes to revolve around, since I don't own many items).
    I know gals who "play pretend".
    You've seen them, too. They are absolutely amazingly dresses up, they have eye-popping makeup.. and all that goes away as soon as the photos are taken. They are ok, in their on way.. but our lives are not all about prepping up for that one perfect snap.. right?!
    Life is about seeing yourself in the mirror, wearing what you love and telling yourself "I can and will wear this all day long". :)

    ..
    One more thing: considering having your hair bobbed, I hear?
    I vote YES, after seeing the picture of you with shorter hair - it will suit your face amazingly!

    Marija

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, there's so much more to vintage than clothes. My favourite bloggers talk about lots of other things too, just clothes and makeup gets boring after a while. Plus - and this might sound weird - if someone looks too perfect all the time, I simply can't identify with them, and their blog just becomes all blah to me. I'd rather read about real people.

      Delete
  8. Terrific post! I think as time goes on, and more and more fashion bloggers start to have multiple years (or even a decade or more) of blogging under their belts, we'll see more truly cool posts like this that chart the course of one's personal style evolution. Perhaps you and Gemma will have kicked off a trend here already! :) It's great that you still have so many of your "old" (as in, had them for years) favourites. I can say the same, when I look back over the last years, and definitely plan to keep wearing and photographing them as time goes on.

    Thanks for the great look at your lovely personal style!

    ♥ Jessica

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anyone can look fresh in something new - wearing something that one's had for years AND making it look interesting, that's real skill with clothes. :-) Maybe that's a future photo post - 'Remember this cardigan?...' (or whatever) with all the outfits one garment has been part of.

      Delete
  9. Hi Mim, I really enjoyed this article with your revelations and insights. I'm glad you still wear the green wooly as it is a thing of beauty and really suits your colouring. I love your hair in that photo and the one beneath it. I'm with you on everyday stuff, it's always the fancy statement garments which call my name in the shop, but they're not quite so forthcoming at 7am on a wet Tuesday in November, now are they? Xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think most of us change how we dress over the years, either a little or a lot. I do tend to have favourite pieces that I wear to death and which have featured many times on the blog, but then that's the reality of life, isn't it? No one can afford new stuff all the time! Everyday clothes are fine, that's reality too - although there is no real difference in my wardrobe, I'm as likely to wear a vintage maxi to work as I am for a night out! I definitely try not to save anything for "best", the things we love the most should be worn most often.
    I like your hair at that shorter bobbed length, and your green sweater suits you beautifully! xxx

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts