Chelsea’s comment on my last post made me reflect a little more on the various stages of Emma’s wardrobe choices. First, I should clarify that I bear some responsibility for the fact that Emma did not wear the dresses her grandma had bought her to nursery school. It’s true that they were not her first choice for school clothes, but they weren’t my first choice either. The dresses were somewhat fussy one-of-a-kind dresses that had been made by a seamstress friend of my mother’s. They required special attention when washed and needed to be ironed – not exactly the thing I wanted Emma wearing when she painted, glued and played on the playground.
Emma did wear dresses to school on occasion, though. When she was in her early elementary years, she almost always wore a dress on the first day of school. And picture day usually warranted a dress during those years, too. There was also a year, maybe even two, during elementary school that dresses were her preferred clothing choice. The dresses she favored during these years were chosen for their comfort, however, not their style. They were soft cotton knit dresses that hung loosely. At that stage in the game she hated anything that was tight on her waist. That's the stage I'm in now.
One thing I remember clearly is that I could never predict a change in her fashion winds. I would stock up on soft cotton knit dresses for her and she would announce that she now preferred leggings and tops to dresses. Right after buying lots of new pairs of leggings and tops, I would discover that she only wanted to wear jeans.
In general, she didn’t care a lot about clothes. She didn’t really like to shop and was, despite my inability keep track of her preferences, grateful for the clothes I brought home for her. She didn’t care about designer labels, in fact, she rather despised them. For many, many years her daily wardrobe could best be characterized as comfortable. Dressing up was reserved for special occasions and her dance recitals. During these times, the little girl whose favorite playtime activity was dress-up came shining through. She loved getting dolled-up, an expression that seemed to fit her perfectly. With her porcelain complexion and beautiful, soft hair, she often looked just like a doll when she dressed up.
High school was when Emma began to express her individuality through clothes. She had a style that was sometimes quirky, sometimes sophisticated, but always unique. Hats were central to her wardrobe, as I’ve mentioned before. She also loved retro clothes. Goodwill was her store of choice. One of her favorite Goodwill purchases was a pair of red snakeskin pumps that livened up any outfit. Her every day fashion icons were her cousin Liz and her flute teacher, Adrianne. They understood the beauty of a great hat and a pair of snakeskin heels.
Choosing to stand out in the crowd is a bold choice in high school. This is just one of many ways that Emma bravely tried to be true to herself when being like everyone else would have been a much easier path. I'm very proud of her for that. And maybe its a naive dream, but I hope that part of her legacy will be that the path will be just a little easier for kids like her who are brave enough to be their own person.
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