Growing Into Your Style: How Fashion Changes as we Age

Written by Ashlyn Sorrells

Photography and Graphics by Mikayla Buneta

Modeled by Anna Berkheimer, Ellie Edwards, Cora Darmody, and Halle Kory

College is about self-reformation. Many of us are figuring out who we are as people, what our interests are, who we want to surround ourselves with, and how we dress. It's safe to assume that many of our wardrobes have been assessed and revamped since our younger adult years. We may not wear the same pieces we once loved when we were teenagers. There is a social expectation to dress more mature or “of age,” but this doesn't necessarily mean we need to rid our closets of previously cherished pieces. 

As we mature and age, we often feel as though our style should follow suit. However, this feeling sometimes poorly translates. The template for a mature style is often perceived as plain or dull — but this is an undeniable misjudgement. Incorporating portions of our younger-selves’ style into our daily attire as adults is something many of us can and should do. Tapping into our inner child through our wardrobe is a great way to keep our daily attire interesting and fun. Not only does this make our outfits more unique, but it prevents us from having to part with our beloved items. 

There are many ways to wear clothing pieces that are considered “younger” in a more polished way. By pairing items that exude youth such as overalls, hair bows, or mary janes, with other of age pieces such as leather jackets, designer bags, or blouses, allows for a more harmonious and balanced look. 

Searching for our own personal style as young adults can be challenging, time consuming, and expensive. It feels almost as though we have to completely reset our closet if we ever want to achieve our ideal style. Not only is this costly, but it is unsustainable. In a world where overconsumption is rampant, especially in the clothing industry, finding ways to repurpose or newly style items we already own is more necessary than ever. There are many ways to reassess our daily attire without having to reconstruct our wardrobe. Styling these “less mature” pieces with items we feel fit our image best now is an easy way to utilize attire that once belonged to our younger-selves.