Getting a Style Groove Back

I finally saw Sex and the City last night. I know you’re thinking, “finally? it just came out a few weeks ago”. But for me, who saw the first movie opening weekend, a few weeks is painfully long. I didn’t read a single review or listen to anyone else who saw it. Other people’s opinions mattered none to me. I love those New York Girls and no one is changing my mind.
I won’t review it here except to say no matter what, I’m glad I saw it. What I will talk about is the clothes. Of course, in true SATC fashion (Carrie-like pun intended) the outfits and their ladies has their very own storyline. They were fabulous, beautiful, classy and outrageous. I laughed. I gasped. I oohed and aahed. I even briefly considered buying a long scarf for my head. Briefly.
What this movie brought home to me was that every woman has their own style. Even in the desert, each of their four personalities shown through their harem pants and giant jewelry. It was fantastic. We should take a page out of their book. Whether you’re fashion forward Carrie, or conservative Miranda, you should choose clothes to suit you, not popular opinion.
I was always very good at this. I had a very clear idea of what fashion was and what I could get away with. I loved clothes, and shoes and accessories and I most loved putting them all together. As frivolous as it seems, I devoured fashion magazines and spent a good deal of time trying to create couture on a budget for my own closet.
Then I had kids and everything changed. Not only was I working with a limited budget of both money and time, but I also have an entirely different body than I used to and for a few years there was no current fashion that took my hips into consideration. It has been challenging to figure out who I am now on the closet front. Recently I purged my wardrobe. I thought I had been really good about sticking to the one year rule, but after filling about six garbage bags I found I was holding on to a lot of my past. It was scary to throw away all those years. I am not sure I’ll ever be able to replace that wardrobe but I do know I wasn’t going to wear most of it ever again-no matter how long I held on. Yes, it was scary but also very freeing as well. Instead of having to fit into an image of who I used to be, now I get to create who I am now with years more experience and the increased beauty that comes with life experience. I am up for the challenge.
It has been a learning experience, outfitting the new me, but I am slowly getting my style groove back. Now if I could just charter a plane to Abu Dhabi with my three best friends.