I was never big into fashion. Probably because we had no money. No money. No choices.
In grade two I found out what the word fashion meant. A new girl in my class had matching shoes to a matching dress to a matching hair ribbon. One for every day of the week. Some outfits had a matching umbrella.
In grade five, fish net stockings were the rage. I did not have any. In grade seven I received my first pair in a second hand bag dropped off at our farm. I wore them to school Monday. They were not in fashion any more. After that episode, I decided there was more to life than worrying about the latest fashion.
I do have to admit fashion still dictates what I choose to wear; what I keep in my closet and what gets sent to good will. Now I regard it all as costume. It isn’t just about clothes. It extends to the latest haircut; the latest car or in decorating your house.
In my late teens, green and orange came into play. My cousin with lots of money redid her second living room with orange shag rug, green chesterfield and chair and her orange teardrop lamps lit up the green and orange swag curtains.
Green and orange tupperware arrived on the scene about that time. The selling of it gave women a chance to make extra money as other women updated their cupboards.
What I’m trying to sort is what it is about the latest fashion and why we want to be in style. Is it about being an individual; about feeling good about oneself or is it about belonging and fitting in?
The continual buying of the latest fashion keeps our economy going round and round. A bonus. Feeding my creativity is another.
Dec. 5, 2011 10 min writing
ellensagh 