Nostalgia and Clothes

Clothing can be nostalgic. Nostalgia is not something which can be solely linked to places, people or events. But anything which has meaning to an individual, anything which means something to them, and their life and thus can be construed as nostalgic by them. Therefore, clothing can be nostalgic.

Nostalgia is defined as ‘a sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past.’ For example, many people are nostalgic for the believed simplistic nature of the time before phones. They show affection for, or a desire for, a time where communication occurred without phones (irrespective of whether they were there or not). Another example, admittedly more niche, is the Roman romanticism of their early Republican past and this belief that this past was more “perfect,” and the people upheld more “Roman” virtues.

However, it does not have to be this lofty. You could simply be nostalgic for a game you played as a child. Or you might be nostalgic for a music instrument you played at school or a memory with a friend. Whatever it maybe I am sure there are things in your past you look back at with affection and wish to re-experience or remember as something special.

Often this feeling is connected to something. For instance, if you are nostalgic for a certain element of your schooling experience, driving past your school building or seeing people who you went to school with might prompt your feelings. Therefore, it is completely fathomable that clothes might invoke this reaction as well.

I would like to begin by discussing the clothes I am wearing in the associated photos. In these photos, I am wearing clothes which hold memories for me. I have had both of these pieces for years and do like both of them.

To begin my mum made me this skirt when I was 16 or 17. I cannot quite remember. I remember seeing the fabric in Spotlight (a craft store which sells fabric) and thinking that it was nice. My Mum found a pattern for a skirt we decided would suit me and I liked it as well. Mum made it from there. The pattern on the skirt is green apples.

I suppose you could term it a “skater skirt.” I do not know the fancy names for different skirts. But it is drawn in at the waist, with a waist belt made from the same apple print material. From here the skirt then is circular and has pleats which start just under the waistband. It also has a zipper and cream, yet translucent button.

When Mum made this for me, I was struggling too at the time to find clothes which I liked. I was not super keen on any of the clothes which I could find in the shops. I did not like the fashion which was in. I most likely found it dull, boring, and monotonous, with little colour or prints. This is not my style and thus I could never find anything to wear.

I suppose the point of this is to show this skirt is meaningful to me because it is not only made for me but because of what it represents. It represents me saying to myself - “I don’t like the clothes which I can buy in stores, I want something which is more ‘me’.” This at the heart of it is the core tenant of my blog – helping people develop their sense of fashion and I suppose in talking about nostalgia it is worth mentioning the piece which helped me realise I wanted to develop a sense of fashion which was more reflective of me and less about what was trendy at the time.

I am also wearing a white Uniqlo t-shirt. This t-shirt is great due to its simplistic nature and style which makes it perfect to wear with pretty much anything. The line detail to adds depth to the shirt and makes it seems slightly different from other styles of t-shirts. This is the same as the fit of the t-shirt, which is close-fitting, not lose. This style of t-shirt suits my aesthetic more than a loose-fitting t-shirt would.

Over this, I am wearing a green Princess Highway cardigan. Ironically about the same time my Mum made me this skirt, I discovered Princess Highway and since then I have never really looked back. I love their clothes. They are slightly retro in style, always colourful and always have beautiful and varied prints.

Another thing I love about the brand is the style and the cut of the vast majority of their clothes. They do not often go into the trend of having big cuts in clothes in the back, spaghetti straps or ripped jeans for example. Whilst I understand for some these are pieces which suit their style, they just are not practical for me. I have very pale skin and thus I burn very easily and the least amount of suncream I have to apply the better.

Thus, overall Princess Highway is a clothing brand I feel nostalgia towards. Namely, because it is the first clothing company I came across where I loved the clothes which they produced and could see myself happily wearing their pieces. Some of the pieces I have from them are almost a brilliant way to summarise myself in clothes. For example, a pair of deep green trousers featuring trojan horses on them. Green is my favourite colour. I am a classics student at university as well, and I love all things ancient. Admittedly, Rome is where my strongest interest lies, but having a pair of trousers featuring one of the most, if not the most, identifiable symbol of the ancient world and this symbol coming from poetry (something else I love), I think sums me pretty well.

This cardigan is an example of their aesthetic. The cardigan is sage green. It has a crochet styled pattern. These two features together make it seem very delicate. The cardigan is quite light and perfect for a cool summer morning. The lighter green colour works well in tandem with the brighter and more vibrant green of the apples in the skirts pattern.

These pieces are then paired with a pair of green lace shoes. These shoes are of a very similar colour to the cardigan. They are comfortable and practical, and the lace-up look compliments the rest of the outfit well.

Final to close on nostalgia I would like to say next time you go and look in your cupboard look in there and see if there is something in there that you have had for years or something which symbolises something to you, means something to you. To everyone else, it might seem trivial but if it means something to you, then that is what is important. Maybe try to wear it more often. Wear it and tell someone when you are wearing it what it means to you. Challenge them to wear something which means something to them.