thoughts on my style evolution, my favorite sweater & a new moon mix
fashion and music have often spoken a simultaneous language in terms of my self-expression.
i’ve said before that some of my favorite fashion moments have usually been informed by longtime musical muses. as i discovered what music i liked during my adolescence, i tended to dabble in the aesthetic phases that went along with any given era. when i was reaching back into the archive of 1980s culture, you can bet i wore neon and big hair and layered beads/bangles. while some outfits from this phase in my life will not be making a reappearance, i can attribute this trial and error to my discovery of thoughtfully pairing clashing patterns together and really getting into color play.
in high school, i rarely ever matched in a traditional sense — i like(d) to coordinate instead. from there, i began my ongoing habit of never wearing the same exact outfit twice. this was also around the time that i started listening to contemporary and colorful artists like M.I.A. and Yeah Yeah Yeahs (the lead singer Karen O. was my psychedelic day-glo rocker fashion queen in the 10th grade).
it wasn’t until my adulthood that i ever even wore an all black look as i had allowed myself to remove the mental notion that it didn’t fit my style — as eclectic as it had always been. one era that has prevailed within my personal fashion repertoire is the 1990s — grunge, more specifically. i’m also a huge fan of the ways that hip-hop has influenced fashion from the late 20th century and beyond, but my teenage self was notorious for loving a good plaid shirt, babydoll dress, ripped tights, Doc Martens combo. enter this daisy sweater that has been in my life for quite some time. i’ve worn it just about every way imaginable — over a dress, paired with a button-down, with jeans or overalls.
i remember when i first spotted the sweater at the thrift store years ago. it had the right amount of fade and crop to it; the black and white pattern reminded me of enlarged polka dots (another visual favorite of mine). i’ve also noticed that this specific pattern of flowers is often revived whenever the 1990s has an aesthetic resurgence. the brand is called thyme and while i haven’t been able to find much about it online, i can tell that it was very much so of its time. this sweater has survived through a few moves and life transitions, even a DIY alteration by me unraveling the hem (cue weezer’s “undone — the sweater song”).
i believe style transcends fashion in the sense that knowing your personal style allows you to always wear what works for you…no matter if it’s on trend or not. i find myself returning to my favorite things often, so i’ve been inspired by this sweater again. i plan to keep it forever, possibly even to pass down to my children. i’ve always been curious about the life cycle of clothes and i believe that this piece can stand the test of time.
the recent new moon in capricorn provided me space to take some of my heady introspection to newer heights — to tap into a reservoir of creativity that had previously been dormant. i’ve made a playlist of songs that have been sitting with me this week — i wouldn’t say the playlist is 90s themed by any stretch of the imagination, but it does cover a lot of foundational bases of sonic elements i’m drawn to. i’m an audiophile, but not necessarily a streaming purist (i’ve tried them all and have witnessed quite a few merge into each other), so i made the playlist available on apple music, tidal, and spotify for accessibility — i plan to keep it this way unless it becomes unsustainable. the spotify and apple music versions also have a bonus track that wasn’t available on tidal. enjoy!