Photo explosion
I see a lot of talk in the internet land about people's 'baby bat' years, or how they came into their particular style and it got me thinking about my own style evolution. I wasn't born a bat (darn it!), so thus I never identified with the baby bats years. *insert humor*. I understand internet terminology a little better now than I did a few years, but I still 'don't get it', in other words: who cares (about the labels).
middle picture : high school
I personally love old photos of people and where they were, what they were doing and who with, it's also fun to see their style at that period in time. It's all part of life, evolving and thus fashion generally is a part of it! I know I get a good chuckle out of my old photos and it also brings back a lot of great memories.
I did some weird things to my hair; like turning it four different colors on accident, shaving it myself : badly, wearing some odd fake hair combination. I also experimented with red/silver eye makeup which made me look possessed, waxed off part of my eyebrow, wore too much glitter.....all over me, etc. I'm actually laughing out loud, because I'm not ashamed, it's all apart of the girl you see today.
I used to put rules on myself like; I'm never going to wear low boots with a mini skirt (haha, broke that), I hate pointy shoes (I love those pointy witchy boots!), I won't wear flat shoes to the club ("yeah right", say the old lady knees), I'm always going to wear a collar as my neck is weird (I next to never wear one any more). My tastes changed, my lifestyle needs changed and I evolved.
But some things may never change, I still love; platforms, stripey tights, hair wraps, shiny accessories, patterned bottoms, leggings, buckle boots, etc. I will always have a soft spot for certain things, even though I may not currently wear particular styles.
I'm not trying to be a preachy jerk face, I'm just saying that it's okay to evolve, it's okay to have those "OMG what was I wearing photos". It's all a part of you and your life, enjoy yourself. :)
Have you experimented in your style evolution?
Thanks for reading!
XOXO-Meagan Kyla
As someone who is constantly evolving, I hear you loud and clear. I honestly think that the only time human beings are meant to STOP evolving is when they are dead ... and I don't mean "dead" in the cool, Goth sort of way. I think the main problem is that folks are so afraid to change because they are deathly afraid of what people are going to say/think. I've fallen into this trap, as well. For such a long time - mostly when I was younger - I never wanted to be labeled a poseur. But it dawned on me that the folks doing the labeling are usually self-centered, egotistical jerks who want to dictate what Goth is or isn't -- to normalize it, to make it acceptable, to make it THEIR subculture. Essentially, they are nothing but cheerleaders and fratboys in black. Norms. Non-artists. Autumn people.
ReplyDeleteAs I get older I find that I have more fun dressing in the clothes that make me feel good at the moment. Some days I match the grey, rainy sky -- I put on my black velvet, break out my sketchbook, pour myself some Chianti and listen to The Smiths. Some days I feel the need to be bright and full of vim and vigor, so I wear a rainbow, roll some Victory rolls, and listen to Elvis. And some days, like today, I am in yoga pants and a "Life is Good" t-shirt, drinking herbal tea and listening to Bach. I feel the need to go to an opera and the museum. I'm feeling put together and cultivated ... and it has nothing to do with "goth." It has to do with my brain.
Evolution is part of nature. The more people embrace this concept the healthier they will be.
I have to admit the first time I was called "goth" was in high school and I thought, "Oh my god, people are going to call me a poseur!". I just rolled with whatever came my way and embraced each new look, style and fancy as you would in youth. I'm still evolving and I don't need to apologize or explain myself. I'm just me! :)
DeleteFew years back I only wore only long skirts and romantic and lacy clothes. I told that I'm never going to wear PVC or platform shoes etc.
ReplyDeleteAt one point I felt that it's impossible to wear only long skirts in our weather an that's when my style started to chance. Today I think that wearing different style clothes ( that still tend to be mostly black:D) makes my look much more interesting.
I like mixing it up myself, I think it's good to allow yourself to experiment. As a stylist I learned a lot more about my tastes and interests in fashion while dressing others!
DeleteI used to dye my hair dead, until maybe 5 years ago when I just decided enough was enough. I have had a white stripe since I was 18 and I have finally embraced it :)
ReplyDeletePeople pay big $$ to get white streaks! I think that's really neat that you embraced it, I'm sure it look fabulous =D
DeleteI had to laugh at your 'baby bat' comments. I'm old enough to be considered an ElderGoth, but since I've only been working with my goth side for the past couple of years, I've started calling myself an "ElderGothBabyBat", and I think it's hilarous!! I can be as weird and experimental as I dare, and I'm going to stop worrying about what people might think (excepet for tutus... I'm NOT going to wear a tutu).
ReplyDeleteI've also got a developing white streak in the front of my otherwise boring blond hair, and while I've gone through periods of coloring (mostly various shades of red) in the past, I've now decided to go either platinum or silver. Just bought some Blond-in-a-Box to see how I'd look, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for this weekend's experiment!
Hehehe at the "ElderGothBabyBat", sounds cute ;)
DeleteGood luck with your hair!!!
My style has definitely evolved and refined, and been added to. I wore what I used to wear generally due to not being confident to really look how I wanted, or just not knowing how to go about it.
ReplyDeleteGone are the tartan skirts, New Rock boots, bands tees of every shape and genre, Jack Skellington iconography and stripey tights.
This has made way for my more grown up Victorian Goth that lives along side the vintage, bohemian, romantic and fetish wear that is currently in my wardrobe (I prefer a darker edge on these styles and that's one thing I don't imagine will change...)
"My style has definitely evolved and refined, and been added to"-I think that's a really neat way of describing it!
DeleteI don't have any pics of my so-called 'baby bat' years (I can't remember that term when I was young - it's a new one, yes?), more's the pity!
ReplyDeleteThough I do remember being quite overweight and having a 'pirate shirt', very short skirt, fishnets and Siouxsie-inspired knee-high boots. Definitely *not* suitable for my figure type ... I'd like to think I've learnt some lessons since then ;) Oh, and black eye makeup that didn't really have any style to it - you know, just BLACK all over the eyelids! :P
You're right, we shouldn't be embarrassed by these things - they are all part of who we are ... and can give us a good laugh at how much we improve with age ;)
I don't remember calling it baby bat in the early 90s, I don't think there was all this terminology -insert sounding old-
DeleteYou outfit does sound awesome, but I understand about knowing it just didn't work for you. I wore some bad makeup too, not drawing trees all over my face, but lack of skills and blending, etc. I was not good with makeup until recently and I stay within my comfort zone :)
Here in NYC we used to call new kids "KinderGoths." hehehehe ... I like that term so much better than Baby Bat.
DeleteSee, that rings a bell! Hahahaha!
DeleteI think it's fun, I have been through so many style 'phases', I wish I had started documenting them earlier. I still have my move from odd grungy style to steampunk in my old blog, but I wish I had photos that went back further, from my early goth days (which I think my parents purposefully refused to photograph) to my flowery sundress phase and my Vintage phase as well. I too don't really feel I had so much of a babybat phase or whatever you want to call it, because when I was first into it, it was more about the literature and dark romance, and I have always had a Victoriana ethos with it. I still try to do 80s punk/goth/grunge occasinally, but it never seems to look right on me. Victoriana/Gothic/Steampunk seems to suit me best. One thing I don't really do anymore is wear plain things just 'cause they are black. I am all into elaborate and what others might consider 'over the top'. I am also trying to experiment with a style I don't really have a name for yet, but I think of it as some kind of urban fantasy distressed fairy look. Torn lace and tulle and that sort of thing. Still definitely in progress.
ReplyDeleteI think dressing because it feels right is a good mindset. I love Victorian fashion and wore it for years and now I'm just not comfortable in it. I love it on others, but it feels too fussy and structured, I struggle to even wear my lovely corsets. I've headed back to my "roots" so to speak and I feel great!
DeleteI love this. I know what you mean. I am constantly evolving. I don't ever want to stop changing.
ReplyDeleteI do wish I had more pics of my younger self though.
We took so many pictures back-in-the-day. I have some awesome photos of my raver days (which I wore black to raves) and had a blast.
DeleteI think it's great that you never want to stop changing, I think it's a fun mindset to have!
I fully agree with you; who cares.
ReplyDeleteAs you I so enjoy looking at old pictures and laugh and some pictures I say: Dear little girl how could you ever beleive you were ugly, you were beautiful, you should have been proud of yourself. That has made me saying to my kids that they look beautiful, they are handsome boys. They will never ever hear anything else from me.
I had a few corny years in university when I tried to look preppy and beige, I look weird in those photos.
I love those party snap shots of you. It shows that you never have been afraid to try new things with yourself.
That is so awesome about what you tell your children! I was lucky to have parents who embraced my quirky fashion and an added bonus, my mom loves Halloween! My mom used to even help me pick out my club outfits! And thank you, I did have a lot of fun....hey, I'm still having fun! =D
DeleteWhen I was in my first year of high school I dressed preppy because my friend looked that way, I realized it wasn't me and chopped my hair off and started skate boarding. The pictures of me are so cute and gawky!
It really warms me up to see you had so much fun with the evolution of your style; it really does look like you had a lot of fun with your style!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first recognized the need to expand my style, I guess I would've been more of a rivet head, than a trad goth I think? I would sport many of the typical traits; camo pants, vinyl... that sort of thing. The only thing I really regret as far as my own personal style is never doing MORE. It all worked out for the best-- I couldn't be more happier with it =)
You've got a great style and you look like you're enjoying yourself---which is the most important thing!
DeleteI used to wear vinyl from head to toe, too much, OMG, too much! Hahahahaa!!!!
When you're in your 30s, you tend to take a step back and look at where you've been, in preparation for where you're going. I posted my "baby-bat" photo. I noticed you said "who cares?" but then posted all of your photos. Don't begrudge folks their nostalgia.
ReplyDeleteI didn't mean to begrudge folks for their nostalgia, I meant I don't get the baby bat term and it's negative internet meaning to some people. I'm in my 30s and I love nostalgia.
DeleteAh, my apologies, I think I completely misunderstood you! This term "baby-bat" is new to me, as we didn't use it when I was in junior-high, high-school. I didn't know that it had a negative connotation!
ReplyDeleteNo worries! There are a lot of things new to me in the land of the internet. ;)
DeleteI agree. I often look back (and not way back, sometimes it's just at the pictures from last weekend) and go WTF WAS I WEARING??? Then I just laugh and move on. I like experimenting with clothing and makeup and shoes and fake hair because at the end of the day they COME OFF and you can always try something new! Cute pictures, I like your little cyber goth phase there ;)
ReplyDeleteExactly! I worked a corporate job when I was going out every weekend (when we had a goth club here), so I used faux hair to change my style/color.
DeleteMost of the cybery stuff I am wearing was for a fashion show (FurturStat outfit was a friends), but I definitely still have a spot spot for circuit boards, pvc and dread falls.
I started going to raves at 13 and was confused when goths started wearing furturistic clothing as I got made fun of for going to both goth clubs and raves. LOL! Oh the 90s/early 00s!
I love going through my old photos and sharing them -- I just wish I had more from my teens (I didn't have a camera so pictures are few and far in-between). I changed "styles" about once a year from 16 to 19. It was a hectic, hectic time, fashion-wise for me. The most memorable shift is from a very punk-esque style to full-out Gothic Lolita in the span of about two months when I was 19. .. That slowly drifted into liking the more revealing, more deathrock and fetish-inspired goth look that I adopted last summer...
ReplyDeleteI think the only things I look back at anymore and feel embarrassed about are some of my terrible hair decisions... A lot of them wouldn't have been as terrible if I knew what to do with my hair!
I think that going through and looking at your "evolution" is a great learning tool -- even if you're embarrassed by some things. You might even find things you used to do that inspire something new and even better when you look back at them! (I've got the urge to add tartan skirts back to my personal style, for example)
I agree, it is a great learning tool!
DeleteI've made some terrible hair decisions too ;)
I love this post. So true! Never forget where you came from and your evolutionary style journey! :) I want to let you know that the highlight of my day the past several weeks has been scrolling through your archives here. Thank you for sharing a good portion of your life with others. You are truly a style icon and you deserve much more recognition! Here's hoping that you get all the love from all the fans all the time ^0^
ReplyDeleteHoly time warp Batman! Hehe! Thank you for reminding of this post and your very kind words! You really made MY day! :)
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