now and then: fashion nostalgia

today a photo of meryl streep wearing the same dress in 1979 and 2009, i was reminded of this little post i made in blackcigarette a few years ago. originally written january 31st, 2008

nostalgia: noun.
1. a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.
2. the evocation of these feelings or tendencies, esp. in commercialized form.

lately i've been struck with an overwhelming bought of nostalgia; perhaps triggered by seeing one of my favourite artists from when i was sixteen in concert last week, or because i've been re-reading some books that have shaped my youth, or going for a pint with old friends. i started shuffling through old photos and found a picture of me at sixteen in my first great vintage clothing find from goodwill: my "mary tyler moore" coat, as my mother affectionately nicknamed it. five dollars later, it became a silly joke between friends. for her graduating photos, an old friend wore it and got so many laughs. but i never really knew how to wear it seriously, since the colour palette is so odd and the style so 60s.



i feel like now, i've got it figured out a bit.



this is another dress that has a similar story; found at the same goodwill, for the same price. i had no idea how to wear it, and just kind of played around the house in it. that picture of me, young, scrawny-armed naïve me, wearing fake plastic pearls and my mother's old heels, looks like a little girl playing dress-up. i look at myself in the more recent photo and i feel, in some ways, like i've figured it out. even though it's the same person, with the same basic premise (blue and white dress, simple accessories, white heels), it looks so much better to me in the "now" photo.

maybe that's just me.

there are many more outfits/examples i could give, but i don't fit into a lot of the clothes i used to wear ages ago, have given them away, or don't have photos of how i used to dress. digital cameras have changed that for sure!



how does your "fashion past" influence how you dress right now?
do you think you've learned from the fashion faux-pas you have made in the past?
is there one garment you've owned for years that you wear dramatically differently now than you used to?
has your style changed a lot over the course of five years, and do you think it will keep changing?
i'd love to see similar photos if others have some!