Growing up as a little girl I was always so curious about how women took care of themselves. I remember my grandmother was so good about taking care of herself and her appearance. She had a detailed skin care routine and always looked polished even when she was at home. I always admired her sense of fashion and her talent of sewing her own beautiful clothing.
My Mom on the other hand was the opposite, she was and is naturally a really beautiful woman. Although a skin care routine wasn't part of her daily routine, she has aged gracefully and beautifully. It didn't take me long as a child to notice the difference between the way my grandmother cared for herself and the way that my mom did. It often made me sad that she didn't wear makeup or dress-up. Soon enough I realized what made me sad wasn't that she wasn't fashionably dressed but that she didn't pay attention to things that required attention on herself because she wanted to spend as much time as possible caring and tending to my sister and I. After coming to this understanding, I promised myself that as an adult I would spend time on myself just as my grandma did because I recognized the value in it. The value that I recognized was what I know so much about today; "Balance in Life brings happiness".
My high-school years were some of the best years in a sense of self-discovery. Besides the emotional and identity side of this phase of life, It was the period in my life when I started having fun with fashion, in a teenage kind of way of course. I found putting separates together so fun and I loved a good "look". Back then I was a Denim kind of girl, meaning I was obsessed with denim and I often sported a denim on denim look and loved it so much. I would save up my weekly allowance and almost always spent it on denim pants or jackets.
As I entered my late teens, I started adapting to a more mature look. I shifted away from my casual looks to more knee-length party dresses and womanly looks. When I look back at photos of this period in my life, I often don't recognize my own voice behind the clothes. The obvious reason behind my fashion shift was due to the age difference between my hubby and I (we are 13 years apart) . I was trying to dress like women closer to his age.
It was in my late twenties that I started to love and enjoy fashion by allowing myself to take risks and play around with pieces in my own way. Allowing myself to wear more of what I loved gave me a great feeling of confidence that I felt had been missing for a while. It allowed me to stand up for what I loved without caring so much about what seemed to fit the image of a married woman. I started wearing denim cargo pants again but mixing them with cool tops and heels. This type of less formal, more free way of dressing allowed me to tap into my creative side so much more than before and gave me so much confidence.
Now days, Fashion is so much more than a pretty dress for me; Its my way of expressing my mood. Its about the confidence I have regarding wearing what I like despite other's judgements. Whether I am wearing a ball gown, a short dress paired with "unexpected" shoes, or a workout outfit, I can smile knowing that this "look" is me, meaning I chose it because I loved it, felt good in it and had fun choosing it.