I’ve been too busy to post on, much less check, the wardrobe_remix group on Flickr for the last 6+ weeks. I’ve been a much happier person since I quit worrying about how many views my photos got, getting comments, acquiring new things to show off, being heavily influenced other people’s clothes. My absence has also solved a quandry I’d been facing for a couple of months that had been causing me some mental “wear” & tear: what is my style? Experimenting and trying new (to me) looks since I joined the group in December of last year has been a bold, positive step forward, but I felt like I was losing myself in the process. I felt like I had to be constantly searching for the perfect accessory, evaulating every detail of what I was going to wear the next day, growing tired quickly of what I already owned, stressing about wearing the same outfit twice, and jealous of what other people had on.

And yet I couldn’t stay away, even though I knew that was the key to release. Since work and extra-curricular activities have forced me to withdraw from the group, I’ve re-discovered some things about my habits and style.

• I’m definitely a fashion chameleon, changing constantly from day to day.
• I tend to get stuck on an outfit or accessory of the week or month that I wear constantly.
• I like looking, but not buying. I put a lot of things back before I check out at the register. It’s not just the money-spending that bothers me, it’s also that I don’t want to get things “for fun” that don’t fit in. I can usually tell when I’ll get tired of something quickly or never wear it.
• I like simple, elegant, interestingly-cut clothes with bold accessories.
• Fit is all-important.
• I like black, and bright colors. I don’t like neutrals or pastels.
• This could be interpreted as subconscious/psychological: I like either prim, ladylike styles or androgynous, un-feminine looks.
• Dressing my age is important to me. So ladylike is the operative adjective in the previous item; I don’t like to look girly.
• Trends aren’t that important. I have always chosen clothes intuitively and find I am much happier when I don’t pay attention to trends.

But wardrobe_remix also impacted me positively and really helped me grow as a person.

• Best thing: I’m not afraid to experiment anymore. In the past, when I’d get dressed to go out, I’d have on an unusual-looking (to me) or potentially too-dressy outfit that would never make it outside my bedroom. I’d change into something reliable at the last minute only to regret my conservatism later.
• I’m better able to put outfits together, which I think is also confidence-related. Some mornings, I still agonize about what to wear, but for the most part I find it easier to choose things now.
• Customizing and making my own clothes has become a cool new past-time.
• Being exposed and contributing to a global, online, fairly young community has provided feasts for thought.