Fruitlessly, but not frantically, shopping as time allowed last week – for something to wear for Easter with the new pink skirt, for the not-Chaco sandals, and for short-sleeved pants – I hit a point where I recognized I had lost my confidence. If you and I had gone shopping together, I wouldn’t have been able to distinguish my style from yours. I couldn’t buy anything.
Thankfully it didn’t last forever. Have you ever had one of those moments when two disparate (not desperate) thoughts come together and – voila! – you have a useful insight?
This I knew: in my idiom some hacks work, others don’t.
This I also knew: my favorite ensembles have a hint of a joke to them. Like a rhinestone Mickey Mouse pin. Or my brocade Chucks.
When I threw on that leather jacket with the wide shoulders on Monday, it suddenly came together in my mind: for me, the hack must be the amusement in the outfit. The hint of a joke.
Hack: using something old or iffy or actually chopped up to represent an accepted and understood style or style element.
That leather jacket looks contemporary and stylish, and it’s certainly a practical spring coat for the mountains of The Great Northwest. To some the wide shoulders are a bit jarring to the eye. To me the wide shoulders, because they are formed by gathering and not padding, are amusing.
“Is this fun, or just trying too hard to be something it’s not?”
Realizing this about myself, I can let go of hacks that are just … hack. And go shopping.
Had any personal idiom epiphanies lately?
Hmmmm, haven’t had any revelations lately but you have a good point that it helps to know what makes something work for you. I like some humor and fun too!
During my many clothing experiments, I’ve often wondered how some of the crazy combinations actually wound up aesthetically pleasing. Today I came to the realization that sometimes two wrongs do make a right.