This is probably one of the first pictures taken after I really came into my own skin and was on my way to being who I am now, style wise. College, especially freshman year, really taught me a lot and helped me be “stylish” while still fitting into my zone of comfort and low maintenance. I learned about fitted boot cut jeans and oxford shoes and cute sweaters and plain colored shirts. And that’s, for the most part, where I stand now. Tailored and classic with a bit of casual thrown in.
I was stylin’ here! Check out my vest. That one I know for sure was my mom’s. And those jeans. This definitely had to have been before the flared jeans came back into style because I am totally rocking the nineties straight leg look. Also, this is the headband years and since I know this picture was taken in October of 1995 and the other picture was probably taken at least two years before, we can probably safely say my headband stage lasted that long.
This isn’t too bad. I know the date of this picture because this was our last picture we took before moving to Pennsylvania from South Carolina. It was also Tyler’s (the baby) first time at the beach and we have some adorable pictures from this day of him crawling in the sad and putting it in his mouth. Funny how I now have have the same type of pictures from about ten years later of my niece doing the exact same thing.
Also, check out Eric’s shirt – remember that trend? With Bugs and the crew dressed up with the baggy clothes and the backwards shirts. Ha, love it! AND this was 1995 and that was the year the Carolina Panthers were incorporated. Man, if we could find that shirt now, you’d think it be a collector’s item!? LOL
I’m posting this one because I wanted to show that I didn’t hate on every picture of me from growing up. I actually really love this picture because I feel like everything came together right here. Eyebrows look good, makeup is minimal but works. Hair looks pretty (my stepmom did it for me). I’m really blond here so I’m pretty sure this is junior year of high school, probably sixteen. Even the outfit works – black shirt, white pants. This is before I knew better about white pants. Matter of fact, everybody is adorable in this picture (my brother Eric and my younger sisters, Alex and Tres). This was one of the good ones!
Maybe I’ll go back to blonde! 🙂
There’s nothing inherently wrong in this picture. I was young here, maybe about twelve, so the lack of eyebrow plucking and no makeup and the retainer is expected.
I actually like that shirt on me – that color has never failed me. And I was semi-tan (the joys of living near the beach) so the white shorts work. My jewelry are Dreamcatchers, a set (earrings and necklace). I was probably entering my stage where I was interested in all the otherworldy stuff – vampires, witches, Native American mythology, etc. Also, those two stuffed animals, if you can’t tell, are Nala and Simba and they are mine. I picked them out because at that point, I was heavily into Disney movies, thanks to having younger brothers and sisters and those two “kissed” – i.e. they had magnets in their noses and when they were close enough, they stuck together. I thought it was adorable!
ANYWAY – I want to point you towards the headband. My mother is probably rolling her eyes back into her head at this picture SOLELY because of that headband. There was a phase I went through where she could not get me out of these things and it was mostly due to the fact that I had no idea how to do my hair (and was too lazy to figure it out) so putting it up was easier than leaving it flat. But it’s hysterical because even to this day, if I come over with a headband on, either a pretty one or a thin one used to just keep my hair out of my face, she cringes, like I’m going to regress back into a stage where I wear one of these every day. Um, no, I just stick to putting my hair up in a messy bun or a ponytail. So much easier!
Do y’all remember all the rage surrounding these? My brother and I both wanted one and our parents and grandparents were skeptical because they were so expensive (I believe they were over a hundred bucks at the time) and because we lived in South Carolina and nobody needs jackets like that down there. Most of the kids were wearing them for style. But when it came down that we were moving to Pennsylvania, I guess everyone decided we would be able to use them and we both got ones for Christmas with our favorite team at the time, the Carolina Tarheels. I loved, love, love that jacket and still have it to this day. I remember they bought it a bit big for me so that we could grow into it but damn, looking at this picture, it kind of swallowed me whole. (Note: I STILL have that jacket and it STILL fits me, which is only indicative of the fact that they bought it big for me, not that I am the same size I was in middle school). Anyway, I thought my jacket was pretty cool because not only did the back have color blocks under the logo (Carolina blue on the left and white on the right) but my grandparents also got my initials embroidered on the front, mostly because it was expensive and they didn’t want it to get stolen. But I was the only kid with those two things so I thought I was the shit.
You can also see that I’ve figured out the eyebrow plucking thing in these pictures but have yet to dye my hair. Thank god for little miracles!
P.S. That’s my best friend from middle school in SC, Madelaine. We had just moved to PA and I believe her family was getting ready to move to Germany but stopping into to see her grandmother in DE before they left so I got to see her right at the moment when I was the new kid in school and longing for my best friend. Can you tell by the look on my face?