Alice Catherine

Do you ever put on an item of clothing and instantly feel better? Whether it’s that jumper that’s been passed down through your family that adds a certain comfort, or that outrageously bright t-shirt that radiates happiness wherever you go. I definitely think certain items of clothing naturally hold different sentiments – hence the reason I love vintage clothing so much. I like to imagine a narrative in my head that brings the clothing to life and adds personality to my outfits…

We each have a piece of clothing that has a certain memory attached to it in some form – it might be the dress you went to prom in, which you now look back on in sheer horror, but can’t bare to throw away because it’s a piece of your youth, a point in time when you may not have been sure of who you were or what you wanted to wear, now it represents a milestone. Maybe it’s an over-sized band top from that boy you went out with for a while and it didn’t quite work out, but you still wear it to lounge around in because guess what, you like the band and it’s a fucking cool t-shirt.

Maybe it’s a pair of shoes that belonged to your great gran and you resonate with an ugly step sister every time you try and squeeze your foot inside, but you never met her and you imagine the places she might have walked in them, the first dates, the endless nights of dancing with a matching handbag hung neatly on her arm. Or possibly it’s even that ratty old denim jacket that you found in the attic from back when your parents wore relatable clothing. It smells kind of funny and it has holes where it shouldn’t, but it’s a nineties gem, and makes you feel connected to them when they aren’t around.

It could be an item of clothing that the media likes to tell you ‘doesn’t flatter your shape’, but you keep it proudly hung in your wardrobe and wear it often regardless. You remind yourself that you look good in whatever your confident in, whatever your size. It’s the natural human spirit to get up and get dressed each day, whatever the day ahead brings, that makes me love fashion so much. The idea that people are putting on their amour that in some way, either subtle or statement, reflects a little bit of the person inside. Sometimes I see someone walking down the street in a really amazing jacket or pair of shoes and I’ll compliment them or it will turn into a positive conversation. It’s the sense of community that fashion creates that keeps me addicted.

These are the pieces that build our personal style and make us feel connected to the clothes we wear – they are an extension of our lives and the influences around us. They make us unique and similar to current trends, they bring us together too. It’s important to wear what you love, what your drawn to, and what makes you feel like your most authentic self. It’s not always easy to discover what these pieces are, personal style is always evolving, but that tends to be the best part – just as we do everyday, tastes changes and personal style becomes a form of self expression worth documenting…