<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fashion, a form of nonverbal communication, allows us to express our identity to the world. As a child, my fashion sense was heavily influenced by my mother, whom I revered as my hero and role model. When I was home sick and couldn’t attend school, I would delight in playing dress-up in her heels and pearls. Her makeup, perfume, and skincare products fascinated me, especially her nightly routine. Like most daughters, I saw my mom as the epitome of feminine beauty and fashion.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a child, my mom and I would often go shopping for bolts of fabric, which she would then have our family friend, a seamstress, turn into matching outfits for us.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Looking back, it’s truly remarkable to have pictures of us in those matching outfits. Some of these pictures are still displayed at my house today, a testament to how much I cherished those moments.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, as a child, I remember a day when I woke up feeling a strong desire to break free from my mother’s fashion choices. I wanted to choose my own clothes and be my own person, no longer wanting to be her miniature version. When I broached the subject with my mom, I was met with hurt and disappointment in her face. She was taken aback by my feelings about her wardrobe choices for me.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eventually, she allowed me to buy the clothes I wanted to wear to fit in with my friends at school. During the 90s, popular fashion included Guess jeans, plaid shirts, and Vans sneakers.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. I was thrilled to finally “fit in” and avoid standing out. At that age, being accepted and liked by my peers was everything to me.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Only with time and hard-earned wisdom do I realize that in both cases, I was dressing for others’ love and approval rather than expressing my true self. I didn’t know myself yet, so I blended in with the crowd to avoid drawing undue attention.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I matured and gained a better understanding of myself, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that my style is very feminine and floral. Growing up in a household with older brothers, I often identified as a “Tomboy” to fit in with them. While fashion choices can have various meanings for different people, they serve as cues about who we are, whether explicitly or implicitly.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fashion is a dynamic aspect of self-expression that evolves with the times. It allows us to communicate our changing identities in relation to our environment, whether for work, travel, social gatherings, or significant life events. The constant evolution of our style enables greater self-expression and the opportunity to embrace new aspects of ourselves as individuals.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fashion goes beyond purses and clothing; it’s a means of expressing our identity, values, and worldview. Through our choices, we can communicate our feelings, culture, ideas, and creativity without uttering a single word. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trends change, and so do individual tastes, both of which have contributed to fashion’s ongoing development.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> But through fashion, we are all constantly in the process of self-discovery, adapting to change, and continually exploring our true selves. Fashion can help us reconnect with our cultural roots, develop our individuality, and build confidence through our clothing choices. It continues to play a pivotal role in shaping our identities and connecting us to the world around us. Fashion encourages us to embrace our uniqueness while fostering connections with the world we inhabit.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 43); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">XO 💋 Lady Astrid

<em style="font-size: 16px; border: revert; color-scheme: revert; math-depth: revert; ruby-position: revert; writing-mode: revert; display: revert; font-family: Assistant, &quot;Assistant Fallback&quot;; font-feature-settings: revert; font-kerning: revert; font-optical-sizing: revert; font-palette: revert; font-size-adjust: revert; font-synthesis-small-caps: revert; font-synthesis-style: revert; font-synthesis-weight: revert; font-variant-alternates: revert; font-variant-east-asian: revert; font-variant-ligatures: revert; font-variant-numeric: revert; font-variant-position: revert; font-variation-settings: revert; font-width: revert; text-orientation: revert; text-rendering: revert; zoom: revert; -webkit-font-smoothing: revert; -webkit-locale: revert; -webkit-text-zoom: revert; text-autospace: revert; background-image: revert; background-position: revert; background-size: revert; background-repeat: revert; background-attachment: revert; background-origin: revert; background-clip: revert; mask: revert; accent-color: revert; place-content: revert; place-items: revert; place-self: revert; alignment-baseline: revert; anchor-name: revert; anchor-scope: revert; animation-composition: revert; animation: revert; appearance: revert; aspect-ratio: revert; backdrop-filter: revert; backface-visibility: revert; background-blend-mode: revert; baseline-shift: revert; border-collapse: revert; box-shadow: revert; break-after: revert; break-before: revert; break-inside: revert; buffered-rendering: revert; caption-side: revert; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); clear: revert; clip: revert; clip-path: revert; clip-rule: revert; color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color-interpolation: revert; color-interpolation-filters: revert; column-count: revert; column-fill: revert; gap: revert; column-rule-color: revert; column-rule-style: revert; column-rule-width: revert; column-span: revert; column-width: revert; contain: revert; container-name: revert; container-type: revert; content: revert; content-visibility: revert; counter-increment: revert; counter-reset: revert; counter-set: revert; cursor: revert; cx: revert; cy: revert; dominant-baseline: revert; dynamic-range-limit: revert; empty-cells: revert; field-sizing: revert; fill: revert; fill-opacity: revert; fill-rule: revert; filter: revert; flex: revert; flex-flow: revert; flood-color: revert; flood-opacity: revert; flow-tolerance: revert; glyph-orientation-horizontal: revert; glyph-orientation-vertical: revert; grid: revert; grid-column-end: revert; grid-column-start: revert; grid-row-end: revert; grid-row-start: revert; hanging-punctuation: revert; hyphenate-character: revert; hyphens: revert; image-orientation: revert; image-rendering: revert; isolation: revert; lighting-color: revert; line-break: revert; line-height: revert; list-style: revert; margin-trim: revert; marker: revert; mask-composite: revert; mask-mode: revert; mask-type: revert; math-shift: revert; math-style: revert; mix-blend-mode: revert; object-fit: revert; object-position: revert; offset-anchor: revert; offset-distance: revert; offset-path: revert; offset-position: revert; offset-rotate: revert; opacity: revert; order: revert; outline: revert; outline-offset: revert; overflow-wrap: revert; page: revert; paint-order: revert; perspective: revert; perspective-origin: revert; pointer-events: revert; position: revert; position-anchor: revert; position-area: revert; position-try: revert; position-visibility: revert; print-color-adjust: revert; quotes: revert; r: revert; resize: revert; rotate: revert; ruby-align: revert; ruby-overhang: revert; rx: revert; ry: revert; scale: revert; scroll-behavior: revert; scroll-snap-align: revert; scroll-snap-stop: revert; scroll-snap-type: revert; scroll-timeline: revert; scrollbar-gutter: revert; scrollbar-width: revert; shape-image-threshold: revert; shape-margin: revert; shape-outside: revert; shape-rendering: revert; speak-as: revert; stop-color: revert; stop-opacity: revert; stroke: revert; stroke-color: revert; stroke-dasharray: revert; stroke-dashoffset: revert; stroke-linecap: revert; stroke-linejoin: revert; stroke-miterlimit: revert; stroke-opacity: revert; stroke-width: revert; tab-size: revert; table-layout: revert; text-align-last: revert; text-anchor: revert; text-box: revert; text-combine-upright: revert; text-decoration-skip-ink: revert; text-emphasis-color: revert; text-emphasis-position: revert; text-emphasis-style: revert; text-overflow: revert; text-shadow: revert; text-underline-offset: revert; text-underline-position: revert; text-wrap-style: revert; timeline-scope: revert; touch-action: revert; transform: revert; transform-box: revert; transform-origin: revert; transform-style: revert; transition: revert; translate: revert; vector-effect: revert; vertical-align: revert; view-timeline: revert; view-transition-class: revert; view-transition-name: revert; visibility: revert; will-change: revert; word-break: revert; x: revert; y: revert; z-index: revert; -apple-pay-button-style: revert; -apple-pay-button-type: revert; -webkit-backdrop-filter: revert; -webkit-background-clip: revert; -webkit-background-origin: revert; border-spacing: revert; -webkit-box-align: revert; -webkit-box-decoration-break: revert; -webkit-box-direction: revert; -webkit-box-flex: revert; -webkit-box-flex-group: revert; -webkit-box-lines: revert; -webkit-box-ordinal-group: revert; -webkit-box-orient: revert; -webkit-box-pack: revert; -webkit-box-reflect: revert; -webkit-box-shadow: revert; -webkit-column-axis: revert; -webkit-column-progression: revert; -webkit-cursor-visibility: revert; -webkit-hyphenate-limit-after: revert; -webkit-hyphenate-limit-before: revert; -webkit-hyphenate-limit-lines: revert; -webkit-initial-letter: revert; -webkit-line-align: revert; -webkit-line-box-contain: revert; -webkit-line-clamp: revert; -webkit-line-grid: revert; -webkit-line-snap: revert; mask-size: revert; -webkit-mask: revert; -webkit-mask-composite: revert; -webkit-mask-source-type: revert; -webkit-nbsp-mode: revert; -webkit-rtl-ordering: revert; -webkit-ruby-position: revert; -webkit-text-combine: revert; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: revert; -webkit-text-fill-color: revert; -webkit-text-security: revert; -webkit-text-stroke-color: revert; -webkit-user-drag: revert; -webkit-user-modify: revert; -webkit-user-select: revert; border-radius: revert; inset: revert; contain-intrinsic-size: revert; height: revert; margin: revert; max-height: revert; max-width: revert; min-height: revert; min-width: revert; overflow: revert; overscroll-behavior: revert; padding: revert; scroll-margin: revert; scroll-padding: revert; width: revert; block-size: revert; border-block: revert; border-end-end-radius: revert; border-end-start-radius: revert; border-inline: revert; border-start-end-radius: revert; border-start-start-radius: revert; contain-intrinsic-block-size: revert; contain-intrinsic-inline-size: revert; inline-size: revert; inset-block: revert; inset-inline: revert; margin-block: revert; margin-inline: revert; max-block-size: revert; max-inline-size: revert; min-block-size: revert; min-inline-size: revert; overflow-block: revert; overflow-inline: revert; overscroll-behavior-block: revert; overscroll-behavior-inline: revert; padding-block: revert; padding-inline: revert; scroll-margin-block: revert; scroll-margin-inline: revert; scroll-padding-block: revert; scroll-padding-inline: revert;">Lady Astrid is an independent contributing writer to RETRO//VRS. The views and opinions expressed in Notes From a Founding Collector are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of RETRO//VRS.

Lady Astrid reflects on childhood dress-up, fitting in, personal style and the role fashion plays in shaping identity, confidence and self-expression.

The Role of Fashion in the Evolution of Self

<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I grew up in a moderately conservative upper-middle-class family by today’s standards. I have always had access to the amount of money needed to buy luxury goods even as a teenager in the ’90s, but I never did because my parents were hardworking immigrants who ingrained in me the value of money. Money was always in short supply for my parents growing up, and so my parents worked hard to provide a better life for me and my brothers by taking that out of the equation for us.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I didn’t buy my first designer bag until college, and even then, I felt guilty spending my parents’ hard-earned money on a “splurge” for myself. It was a simple black nylon Prada purse that all the “cool” girls at my university were using for clubbing or going out with friends. I specifically remember wanting it in black so that it would match a lot of the clothes I already had.

Prada Re-Edition 2000 nylon bag, inspired by the archival style that became Lady Astrid’s first designer purse.

<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wearing that bag made me feel more confident when I was out and about in my 20s. I even left the Prada authenticity card in my purse to prove it was authentic if anyone ever questioned its authenticity (spoiler: no one ever did).<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If that bag could talk, the stories it would tell.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I wore it out so much that eventually the strap broke, and I stopped using it. At the time, I didn’t know if it could be repaired because I had no clue who to contact to even get something like that done. Could you look up “purse repair” in the yellow pages back then in our more analog days?<span style="border-color: var(--border); border-image-source: none; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So for years, it sat in the back of my closet in my childhood bedroom at my parents’ house. The next time I saw it was when I was cleaning out my room right before I finished school and got married at age 27. The minute I saw it, it brought a wide smile to my face. I could still remember all the good times and adventures I had with that purse in my early 20s.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border-color: var(--border); border-image-source: none; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I never did get that Prada purse fixed, and it’s still probably in my childhood bedroom closet.

Last year I came across Prada's Re-Edition 2000 version of it, and when I saw it, I knew I had to get one for old times’ sake. That bag is low maintenance, water-resistant, and easy to carry when going out for errands or on a date night with my husband. It’s a very practical utilitarian purse that was well designed and constructed. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To me, it screamed “quiet luxury” because it didn’t have brand logos. The purse was basic, black, and had a small metallic triangle on the front of the purse with the name of the brand.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That’s when it dawned on me. True luxury doesn’t need to scream to be noticed; it’s more akin to a whisper. Luxury is buying what makes you happy and what you will actually use in your daily life, irrespective of the hype, the brand, or the latest trend.<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">XO 💋 Lady Astrid

Lady Astrid is an independent contributing writer to RETRO//VRS. The views and opinions expressed in Notes From a Founding Collector are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of RETRO//VRS.<o:p></o:p>

Lady Astrid reflects on her first designer purse, a black Prada nylon bag, and how it shaped her understanding of luxury, quality and personal style.

Blog posts for the tag "Personal Style"

Articles tagged with "Personal Style"

The Role of Fashion in the Evolution of Self

My First Designer Purse