I was thinking about...Tracking My Stylistic Growth Spurt
By Andy Lee
Recently I unearthed old high school photos, catapulting me through a fashion time warp back to the late 1980s. Looking at my clothes chronicles much more than fickle trends – my evolving styles chart the gradual discovery of identity as I matured from teen to young adult.
As an insecure 14-year-old freshman in 1985, I clung loyally to a nondescript uniform of jeans and printed tees that drew no attention. My daily attire offered camouflage rather than self-expression during that socially awkward phase spent more escaping notice than exploring individualism.
Incrementally over sophomore and junior years, observances of classmates’ daring style risks awakened my own subtler experiments. An bomber jacket paired with checkerboard Vans allowed minor rebellion while avoiding “burnout” labels from skeptical parents. By senior yearbook photo ops in 1989, acid wash jeans and Air Jordans symbolized outward the evolutions stirring within.
By graduation day in 1989, the camera permanently imprinted youthful culminations of four years spent gradually nurturing uniqueness. Leafing back through these images today connects more than mere wardrobe – each outfit represents mile markers on the long road toward self-discovery.
Now three decades later, those loud fashions may have faded infinitely. But the self-assurance garnered along the journey persists eternal. The wallflower teen once camouflaged in seeming perpetuity would likely not recognize the secure man seen reflecting back through generations of garments gone by. Yet the intervening metamorphosis linking past to future unfolds plainly in fabrics donned between.
Stay true to your timeline, keep evolving. 📸
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I was thinking about... 