Finding Something New

We all have clothes that make us feel incredible. A style or a colour, a cut or a contour, or any combination that makes a piece of clothing one that sticks out, glowing on the rails of your wardrobe like a bright beacon against all else. Whether it’s a beautiful bikini in the summer, a pencil skirt for those days in the office, a top that suits all seasons, or even something more intimate you keep for yourself & those who get to share it with you, we all have those items we love just that little bit more.

I have several such items of my own; a faux-leather skirt that’s both professional & fun; a backless bodysuit that leaves little to the imagination; a tie-dye-style summer dress that welcomes the sunnier months back. Finding one of these items, for me, is particularly difficult, especially with no set style of clothing or myself. But recently, a new addition found its way into the fold.

Several months ago, at an event I was fortunate to attend, I couldn’t help but notice our host had spared no expense, & not just on the day itself. Adorning a vintage-style, 60s-inspired black dress with white polka dots, her simple yet elegant chic shone throughout the hall. And in that moment, shamelessly, I knew it was something I couldn’t ignore.

With my Vinted game back in full form, & with some extra hours on my hands, a similar piece had been found. Similar in style, pattern & design, yet with a slightly different cut & sitting elsewhere on my body, I knew it was it. A new signature piece to join my collection, ready to make her debut when the time was to be right, a special occasion for a special piece.

Why is it we have certain items of clothing that do this? I believe it’s because it allows us to see ourselves, our wardrobe & our true personalities in a new way, a way that is novel to those around us, even to us, a reinvention of sorts like the arrival of a new season. Each new piece is the latest signature of our everchanging souls, a progression of our story borne out in the way we present ourselves to the cast of characters we are surrounded with.

Because it doesn’t matter what it is, looks like, functions for, is seen by or even how long it lasts. Because if it makes you feel like yourself, or even better, the version of yourself you have always imagined, then it truly is incredible.

It brings out the incredibility in you that you had yet to fully see; a transformation from a caterpillar to a butterfly, that simply needs the encasement of a unique chrysalis of fabric & stitching to make it happen.

Find those clothes. And let them out of your wardrobe at every opportunity.

Written by, Sophie Layton (she/her)