There are certain memories burned into my brain that played formative roles in my personal style and sense of self. All of these memories challenged my way of thinking about objects and/or gave me the confidence to develop my own personal style. Lately, watching my daughter discover her own style had me laying in bed tallying up some of these memories.
A few include:
Watching the music video Runaway by Janet Jackson and desperately needing a nose ring. This would later change to a tiny diamond stud once I saw the music video Ghetto Supastar featuring Mýa.
Being in middle school and seeing a 12th grader use a Chinese to-go carton as her purse.
Watching my older sister cut out all her Guess triangle butt patches and sew them on her jean jacket.
Waiting for my brother at a Cost Cutters while watching a woman with shoulder length hair get a short side-spike.
Attending a family friend's high school graduation and seeing someone wear a chain metal vest over their graduation gown.
The Cosby Show episode titled Rudy’s Walk On the Wild Side. Rudy wants a sweater with fish that lights up that is on sale at the mall, but she doesn't have enough money to buy it and becomes so desperate that she steals $2.30 from the money Clair left out for the dry cleaning.
Begging my dad to dye my hair red so I could be just like Tabitha Soren.
As an adult I still encounter moments like these, but they don’t embed in my brain as easily. I now flag them on Instagram, take countless screenshots, and if I am really “slowing down,” creasing the corner of a magazine. My brain lets them go easier because it seems to know they are now stored elsewhere. It’s these early memories that continue to live on and revisit me more often.
Last night in the kitchen, I asked my daughter if she had any of these memories yet. She responded, “I have one so far. I was leaving the jump park and a woman came in wearing really big white snow boots that said ‘moon boots’ on the sides. I can’t stop thinking about them.”
So here’s to fashion core memories and hopefully creating them for others!
Thanks for being here,
xxxKate
