Yesterday, on the way to the Airport, I was randomly scrolling through Instagram when I happened upon a post by @Xeniaadonts. It immediately made me smile and gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling. The post was so Y2K, with Xenia wearing Miu Miu, low-slung jeans, a crop denim handkerchief top, and a lovely matelasse Miu Miu bag—all achingly cool with her so chic, messy crop bob. Why did this make me so happy?
In this blog, we discuss fashion, the joy of dressing up, the impact of clothing on our mood, the joy of self-expression through fashion, and, importantly, conscious consumerism. Why did this post make me so happy? The Y2K fashion was not the most comfortable or easy to wear. Some parts of your body were always on show and up for scrutiny (others, but mostly your own)—your back, shoulders, midriff on display and everything so tight. There was no space for comfort.
My husband always told me I wore clothes a size too small. Yet it was such a joyful and exciting time. Fashion seemed exciting and new. Tom Ford was at Gucci, bringing a new sense of glamour and sexiness. Prada was the “it” brand, and the aforementioned Miu Miu gave us everything from Baby Doll Dresses to cool combat looks. There were other cool brands - Tracey Reece, Tibi and Lisa Ho- serving up gorgeous bias-cut dresses and prints, as well as the exquisite minimalism of Helmut Lang and Jim Sander. There was so much fun and excitement. We trotted around in our kitten heels with our Prada Bowling bags, making plans and having fun.
Yet, there was less fashion than we have now. This era was before the massive growth of both Luxury Goods and Fast Fashion. There were many independent brands and a lot of discovery, newness, and excitement everywhere. It was also very happy and exciting for me personally; I was about to get married or had recently married. Life was full of glamorous places to go, amazing friends, new adventures, a new business and a new life ahead. So many opportunities waiting to happen. These were the precious memories being ignited by that IG post. It was a time when life seemed less serious, before the deaths of parents, professional failures and experiences that hurt.
So what is the learning here? Clothes can be and are a powerful source of our own joy and happiness. If you’re reading this, you are not dressing for function only; you have a love and appreciation for clothing as a self-expression. Do you have an era in fashion that makes you happy? Is there an era which was really ‘you’? What is that feeling you had then? Was it flirtiness, glamour, power, confidence, sexiness? Whatever that feeling was is so relevant and a key tool for creating a wardrobe you love and resonates. Chasing the current trend is all good, but it can be seen as looking/searching, which is far from personal certainty, confidence and ease.
The joy and excitement I experienced in that era may have been in the past, but it is alive right now and can be recreated. Hence, I have so many Y2K elements in my personal style, and I still wear my Tom Ford Gucci and Miu Miu. Fashion as a form of self-expression can be pure joy - art in life. Having a sense of personal style is key to this. Having your own style provides a sense of confidence and certainty in a currently challenging world. So let’s enjoy this opportunity.
Time for some fashion homework:
• Do you have a time you loved in fashion?
• What was it?
• How did it make you feel?
• Define that feeling - cool, chic, powerful, beautiful, confident
• Now, build your style based on those elements.
• Have fun while building your own style, confidence and certainty.
As always, have fun, love life, and enjoy fashion.
Kind regards
Kate xx