Play clothes + play words
How wearing that bedazzled jean jacket is like writing a story about being a humpback whale
I’ve always loved clothes, especially funky and vintage. In high school, armed with Seventeen and Vogue and magazines, I thought of myself as a quirky fashionista. I perused local thrift stores for 1980s men’s lacoste sweaters, a sequined prom dress I wore one halloween, even a sailor’s uniform bib. I found some gems in my great aunt’s collection (polyester anyone?), and when I was 16, I went to London’s Camden Lock Market and lost my V card when I bought capital ‘V’ Vintage. Fashion mistakes were made but I had a lot of fun.
These days, because I have the privilege of working from home, I usually can get comfy in leggings and a sweatshirt. Lately, though I’ve gotten bored with safe clothing choices. Practical, fast fashion, boring suburb mom-wear. I’ve been considering my personal style to be like writing. I can try things, make of mistakes, and most importantly, PLAY. Why not? No one at school or daycare pick up gives a rat’s ass.
And I also 100% get not every day is a day to stand out. Wearing something that ISN’T leggings and sweatshirt is saying, at least that day, I am someone. It can take a certain amount of energy and confidence. Sometimes you just want to be invisible.
Put something out into the world, that’s different, new, notable. Maybe you dress like the interesting, creative person you aspire to be and then maybe you write in the style of that piece you like… and then submit it.The flounced satin skirt paired with a striped shirt. That story, but what about from the tree’s perspective. The brown fuzzy jacket that makes me look like Fonzie and the red Anthro heels I still need to wear. What would that chandelier from Hotel Praha say to eight-year-old me. A fuchsia tank top sweater thing, hmm. Should I make up that weird word and try it out in a run-on sentence.
Why not? What are we all so afraid of? Just like fashion, writing only expresses a passing moment in time when certain elements come together. These things undulate and flow, they aren’t ver.
It’s be journey as a 41-year-old woman with two c-sections under her belt (I crack myself up) to be comfortable in my own skin. I think that goes along with the whole writing thing too — meet yourself where you are, even if it’s not quite where you want to be. I want to write a novel, but I know I don’t have the skill set yet to do it. I’m sticking with the shorter prose until, simply put, I get better.
If I throw enough spaghetti at the wall, something will stick. Find out what works, contrast, switch it up before it gets too boring. I believe there are opportunities all around us to learn the rules, and then break them, just for fun. And if something is off, it doesn’t matter, I’ll just try something different next time.
