I GOT STYLE, letmetellyouwhat, and other thoughts on grown-up fashion

My goodness. This also sums up my life SO well. It's so good to know that though we are all entering into this sort of quarter-life crisis where, for the first time, we don't quite get the younger generation, the Internet understands and brings us all together. "29 Underrated Things About Being in your Twenties." (http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicamisener/29-underrated-things-about-being-in-your-late-twenties) This article relates to my last few posts and today, I want to address another change I've noticed in my life.

My style.

This morning, while getting dressed, I had to make a decision: Do I dress like an "adult" that my co-workers would approve of, meaning dressing safe, or so I go all out--dress, tights, little wild-colored belt, heels... because today, I'm leading a meeting on my own and I, though I am ashamed to admit it, what to be taken seriously.

Who'd have ever thought?

I think my sense of style has actually, surprisingly taken off since starting my adult job. I have to where business casual, meaning dressing nice. I was never one to wear yoga pants to class honestly--mostly because of the jobs I held and amount of time I spent on campus at any one time (like all day most times) and the fact that I don't have a car, so I biked and walked to school. Year round. Man. I don't miss that for one second! I know, I know, save the environment, you should be biking to work because you live downtown and it's just on the other side of downtown... but it's Indiana, it's cold, it rains when it's cold, and you know what, I've been car-less since 2008. It's my turn to drive, people!

It's just funny how your style can change. We hung out with the skater kids in middle school. I wore Vans and Etnies even though I didn't skate--and Jesus I still miss those Etnies. It was like a pillow around my feet all day erryday. Then I moved to Chucks. My main group of friends in high school were not like me at all. They loved rap, for starters. I hated rap. But I listened to it to fit in. They didn't read, they liked to party a lot, they didn't get my staying in and writing... we were just different. But lack of other people for a long time kept me with them. When I met Amanders in 9th grade, we had some rocky moments, but she is my best friends still today (another thing the article/list mentions is how you weed out the hanger-on-ers to find your true friends). Amanders (not her real name, guys, come on) rocked chucks, mismatched socks, and wore basically whateverthefuck she wanted. She was the total opposite of me and everything I wanted to be. She would always pick out outfits that were daring and crazy, but I'd be too scared to wear them.

That's changed now, of course

I have my own style. But what leaves a part of me a little sad is that I've left the chucks behind for flats and heels and cute boots. My ripped flared jeans for khakis. I wear dresses and tights, and in high school, you couldn't catch me dead in a dress unless I was at a dance or something. There are no Crayola colored streaks in my hair, my lip ring has been gone since 2011, and I coordinate my jewelry.

The inner 16-year-old in me can't decide if she's impressed or disgusted.

I am a bit backwards in that I want tattoos now when I haven't even remotely, not the slightest inkling of a wish, wanted tattoos for the first 23 years of my life. Now I do. I always get into tihngs later than my peers. Sigh.

So now I pass my forgotten chucks, left in the hallways unworn for weeks with a sigh of sadness and nostalgia, slide my feet into my newest flats, put on my tailored blazer, and head to work. It's funny because my mother would approve. And I'm still struggling to accept that that is okay. I think that I'm afraid of when I have children and them looking at me and calling my skinny jeans "mom jeans" or making fun of my v-necks or my chucks or some other random article of clothing I can't let go of. I guess I hope to stay a fashionable mom.I think fashion has changed a lot since our parents were our age--so many more things are acceptable and "in." In fact, mom jeans in certain circles ARE in. I guess I'll just try to remember that any time I start worrying if my clothes are cool enough, remember their opinions don't matter because they'r emy kids, pull on my skinnies and chucks and 80s-style Raybans carry on, telling them they just don't know what's cool.