Tiny thought: Self-expression
I was waiting for the L Train with my kids last week and a young woman walked through the turnstile at the station with a pixie cut dyed a purplish shade of red, with green streaks sticking out of some of the tips.
She had small silver studs climbing up her ear and triple chunky lace-up doc martens on her feet. Her tights were ripped and her skirt was mini. It may have been leather but I didn’t get a close look. She was walking through the turnstile with her mom, who was wearing a conservative mauve sweater dress that was knee-length. It covered the top of her suede boots, which were colored this near-invisible shade of grey that matched her practical down coat and its detachable hood.
They were standing and talking then laughing and hugging and in my head, I was writing this story about the mom, dressed up in agreeable convention to be covered and the daughter, dressed in electric uniqueness to express her sharp viewpoints or at least feelings but then I thought, what if the moms even more expressively electric than the daughter, what if she’s just dressed to reflect some technical accommodation like comfort or warmth or physical condition? What if they maintain the same overall outlook?
It was a funny tiny thought to have because for as well as I know that our ideas change, that if we use style to express ourselves, inevitably the ideas sneak in so when they change, our style tweaks in some way too, but I had not considered that the actual role style plays in a person’s life — that is, how central or unimportant it is to how they express themselves or their feelings or thoughts or whatever could also change over time.
Like one day sooner than I probably realize I could be the one swinging through a turnstile in my equivalent of a sensible sweater dress, and that might say very little about anything other than it’s own convenience.
I don’t know how likely it is,
but as with most new thoughts, the possibility is freeing.
Happy new year,
Leandra
I love this thought :) I think it's a really expansive way of thinking about the world to consider how interesting, exciting, expressive people show that quality in many different ways. Style is one option but not the only one! It makes the world feel very big and lovely to consider how people could surprise you with their "electric uniqueness" (love your phrase!)
Like the thought, like the skirt. Have a happy new year!