Sweet Beginnings
This week I thought I'd do a throwback post with pictures taken of me long before Gal Friday Vintage. My first few years at Parsons School of Design were a hot mess, to say the least. I was a wreck after losing my dad and felt lost in the big city. I didn't feel as if I truly belonged there, and I clung to vintage and old films as hard as I could for comfort. I dressed up for any occasion and slowly developed my style. I realized that I primarily loved 1950s - 70s attire. I was greatly influenced by Audrey Hepburn, Dorothy Dandridge, Diana Ross, Mad Men, That Girl, the list could go on and on. My roommate at the time would photograph me for her various design and photography courses. I've always been insecure, but I was shocked at how my aesthetic popped in front of a camera. I began to feel more comfortable having my photographs taken, and thus GFV began.
I appreciated my hometown so much during this time because vintage is more accessible and feels like it can be a part of my daily life in a tangible way, from the clothes I wear to the magazines that I read to the decor in my apartment. I'd wait until I was back in Cleveland for the holidays to shop at my favorite vintage shops. I'd buy chic 1960s/70s printed dresses for no more than $20 and some of the most darling mid-century nightgowns and peignoir sets. I became a record hoarder, but Ella Fitzgerald's song "Manhattan" is still one of my favorites to play on my turntable.
I like to reference photographs from my undergraduate days in the city because this time frame really shaped the woman I am today. I'm so grateful for my friends and old acquaintances who made me see the beauty in vintage aesthetics from their lens (figuratively and literally speaking). While the city was not my haven per se, it was a place where I learned not only to accept myself but to love myself for my differences. This was something that was difficult to accomplish in my hometown, where most of the population dress in a fashion and are into the same kinds of hobbies, music, etc. There is a universal way of being in Cleveland, Ohio. Whereas NYC allowed me to really embrace who I am--a woman obsessed with the aesthetics, glamour, and camp of yesteryear.
I suppose this post is merely me processing my thoughts as I looked at old photographs the other day. I thought I'd share them with you and hope you enjoyed this throwback post!