My roommate and I decided to do a major closet clean out a week ago to transition our winter wardrobes to spring summer, naturally. Cue a Sex and the City-esque montage with us trying on all of our favorite pieces with champagne, music blasting, and iconic vintage designer pieces being flung about only to land in a perfect pile on the floor. Mais in reality, we were huffing and puffing, trying on old dresses with zippers that wouldn’t budge, heaps of Fresh Direct bags on the floor, filled with clothing that we really tried to be sustainable and wear multiple times but failed. Oh and no champagne.
The most depressing was when Hannah passed me a dress she had in her closet for years, a vintage, lace Isabel Marant dress that we had pined over in our youth. “You’re going to sell this?” I asked in horror. She suggested I could try it and see if it worked on me. Brimming almost with a teenage excitement, I tried on the dress that I had always wanted to borrow and wear since I was eighteen. There was something about it but I had been too shy to ask because it was pretty delicate and her favorite piece at the time. I tried it on and stood in front of the mirror and laughed out loud. I looked like a cupcake.
I know this is not a monumental idea, but I’ve never really stood in front of a mirror and felt too old to wear something until now. At the ripe age of twenty-six, I was having an existential crisis about dressing identity, specifically, this new idea of dressing for my age. What does that even MEAN?
I guess this is a part of growing? I mean, I have always dressed pretty appropriately, I think for the most part. But what is it about frills and lace that truly feel to juvenile for a twenty-six year old. When do we ditch that femininity and how does that translate into different, more ‘adult’ pieces?
I should probably have a hypothesis here, but really this is more of a discussion topic. After spiraling and really thinking about it, there was actually something empowering about ditching that dress (yes we did sell it). There is a difference of femininity as you age and that evolution is kind of sexy. To not be feminine with bows, lace, and frills is actually more powerful. Wearing an all black look, maybe even a suit, says that we don’t need the extra fluff. We are feminine because we have nothing to really prove.
Dressing for your age is not something to be afraid of, but something to embrace. There is also a freedom and certain maturity by just wearing whatever the hell you want, of course. We can throw out this term entirely if you want to. As you get to know yourself, you understand what works best for your confidence. Maybe it really is just about personal style evolution.
I have gone through almost every style in the book and can confidently say I really know what I like now. Of course it slightly evolves with time, but I trust my intuition when it comes to dressing and things I like. I guess that is why when I put on that dress, intuitively I knew that my personal taste leans more toward simplicity and minimalism. I guess this is my hypothesis — dressing for your age isn’t really about the number, but rather your growth in personal taste and comfortability.
What do you think?
Oh and here is the Isabel Marant dress…for your consideration.
Hi Christie,
I have been following your journey on Instagram and Youtube on and off for a couple of years. I had noticed some changes on your content, and was recently happy to discover this Substack. Your writing is valuable and I really enjoy the effort you put behind your words.
Reading through your writings here, I discovered your previous blog and have been reading it; which somehow feels nostalgic, even though I'm reading it for the first time. It's interesting to read something completely new, yet familiar as you captured and shared what life was like for those years. Even though our experiences and circumstances are different, I was able to resonate with lot of your content. Or in a way, it felt as if my younger self was able to resonate with that version of you, and I'm glad I had the experience of reading it rather late than never. Your blog feels like a time-travel capsule, truly – I thank you for it.
Having spend some time over the past few days reading your words from before and coming to read this today is a beautiful experience to have. You have kept a similar tone throughout the years, but it seems more defined now. I'm happy for the possibility to be able to witness some parts of your journey through the content you've shared with the world over the years. I'm glad to see you are well and thriving. I wish you all the best.
X, Veera