My Style According to Moi (Natalie)

How would I describe my personal style? How do you describe something that's changed significantly over time and refined itself, while at the same time has maintained a level of consistency? I've always been a girly girl, and my love of fashion started coming out at an early age in playing with my toy collection, which largely consisted of various types of dolls, paper dolls, and Barbies, all with extensive wardrobes and endless outfit possibilities. Although a love of fashion came to me young, I wouldn't say I discovered or developed my own personal style until I approached college. Back then, my general look consisted of a lot of vintage, 60's-era-looking dresses and miniskirts, leggings a la cigarette pants, and an overall old-Hollywood, slightly glamorous vibe. And I wore lots of black - not to be dark, but to be chic. I loved getting dressed up to the nines any opportunity I could, whether it be a college ball (the dancing kind), a black tie dinner on a cruise ship, or an opera. To this day, I love formalwear, although my opportunities to sport it have sadly significantly dwindled.

I must have always maintained a vintage formality in my look, because my husband Rick used to say that I dressed like a grandma. (Or at least, on re-thinking such a comment, would say that I wore things his grandma would wear. I guess that's a little better. 🤷🏻‍♀️) If I had to describe my style today, I would say it maintains an element of vintage glamor, but overall has become a bit more casual to suit the era and my lifestyle. I no longer go into the office every day, and accounting (my day job is a CPA) has become a much more casual profession, even since I've been in the field. I'm also much more of a down-home, country-suburban girl and can't say I like hanging in the city like I used to. I've gotten to where I much prefer strutting down to the local dive bar and making friends than visiting the hottest rooftop downtown. I guess you could say I'm a bit uptown girl turned cowgirl.

Although I definitely pay attention to trends (what do you think I do in my spare time? 😉), I am not governed by them. I believe if one wants to look one's best, it is far more important to wear what works for and flatters them, even if it's not the latest cut, shape, or style of...whatever. I give a nod to trends, incorporating the ones I like, but at the end of the day, I wear what I want to and what I like and what I feel looks good on me, even if it technically went "out" years ago. I'm at least old enough to know it will be back around eventually. Besides, if all you do is follow trends, how will you ever set them??

Beyond an overall classic, vintage-glam, whimsical aesthetic, I have a few specific colors and "motifs", if you will, that I gravitate toward. For starters, I have a hankering for the unique, which is why I much prefer shopping at boutiques and art fairs as opposed to malls and department stores. I love a bit of flash and jewels, although I've toned it down the last couple of years to ride the wave of dainty jewelry that has been more popular lately. Also, random, but I love kitschy animal prints. Like my Granny, I've always had a fondness for leopard, cheetah, zebra prints, snakeskin, etc. However, I'm talking prints of animal images, particularly birds: swans, flamingos, and especially peacocks and their beautiful feathers (peacocks are a thing for me - many more posts to follow.) This narrative on my style would also not be complete without me mentioning my love of (addiction to, rather) sunglasses. They are by far my most beloved accessory, and I rarely go without them, even on snowy or rainy days. My collection has grown so large (and shows no sign of stopping) that it currently takes up a third of my dresser, and family members have talked about staging an intervention.

In the last couple of years, I have also developed a fondness for Tommy Hilfiger - my husband Rick loved the TH logo of the iconic red and white color blocks framed by two navy stripes - and baby blue, Rick's favorite color. I've collected many emblematic items over the last couple of years that you will see in this blog. As of late, given my time spent in the west (Arizona) and my eventual move to Oklahoma, I have also adopted many "country-isms" into my wardrobe, i.e., cowboy boots, hats, belts with large buckles, and camo. I love that my style has become what it is now because of the people and places who have touched it. I am interested to see how it will develop, and I am excited to share that process with you.