The Story Behind the Perfect Photo

In the vein of being a hypocrite, I would like my first post to be about the desire to capture the perfect photo. The lengths and measures people go to fabricate the perfect shot for their social media – often distorting the reality in the process. As someone who loves an aesthetically pleasing photo as much as anyone else and someone who wants to start a fashion blog this is an expectation and a norm I want to challenge.

It is a known fact, we hear it frequently, we see it frequently. You open your social media and you are bombarded with images of beautiful people wearing immaculate clothes in amazing places. These photos though are all curated, staged and edited to a high degree. They pretend they are the norm – yet they represent a very edited reality.

This is not something everyone can achieve daily, nor would trying to be an entirely healthy endeavour. Instead, maybe we should try filling our social media with a bit more honesty. Have less than perfect photos posted, show mistakes, show personality and above all show flaws. After all, it is these characteristics which make a person most interesting. This is a gap within social media sites I’d like ama tua vestimenta to fill.

To show the imperfections and editing that goes into the “perfect” photo this blog’s Instagram will feature stories which will be posted alongside the polished photos published in the feed. This is to re-emphasis to followers that imperfections exist and that the photos seen published in the feed, whilst hopefully pretty do not represent the entire reality. The objective behind this, as discussed earlier, is to maintain authenticity and show the reality.

The photo above is the cover photo for this blog. This photo was taken in a single shot. Only two variants were taken, the other being included below. The main variant between the photos is the light. This is an entirely natural phenomenon, not one induced by editing. The lighting varied because of the clouds and the sunset. The second photo is thus darker as the sun was hidden behind a cloud.

The photos also show the reality of the situation. It was a windy afternoon. Hence, when you look at the trouser legs of the jumpsuit, you’ll see it blowing in the wind. You’ll see my hair tucked into my coat. This is a consequence of the wind too. If it isn’t tucked into my coat it’ll simply blow everywhere. My hands are in my pockets because of the cold.

These photos were designed to showcase a winter style and one which fits the parameters of ama tua vestimenta – but remain authentic. The clothes I am wearing are unique and colourful, yet they remain comfortable.

Ama tua vestimenta is Latin and translates to ‘love your clothes.’ This is what I want my blog to be about. Fashion is something that you can use to express your individuality, your uniqueness and something that makes you feel comfortable. It shouldn’t be about wearing the highest shoes, squeezing into too-small jeans or wearing the latest trends simply because everyone else is.

It should be, at the most basic level, about wearing what you like.

Thus, this blog will not be a fashion blog to follow if you would like to see perfectly polished pictures of the latest trends. Instead, this is one to follow if you would like to see a representation of individual style in a more realistic manner. The photos won’t be perfect, nor will they always be edited. They will show flaws, imperfections and mistakes. They will represent the reality of being human. They will show that you don’t have to be perfect. This is the aesthetic that I am aiming for.

The guiding principle of this blog is to encourage you to develop your own style. This takes time. I have had my own share of shocking outfits throughout my teenage years but with time developed my own style. One which is dictated by colour. I love colours. I barely own a single piece of black clothing. The other thing I love is patterns. I love a unique or interesting pattern. One which provides a focal point for your outfit.

As Marie Kondo states in relation to organising keep things which “spark joy.” The same can be said of fashion. Keep the clothes which “spark joy,” wear the clothes which “spark joy.” This is the approach ama tua vestimenta will take and will endeavour to encourage you to dress in a way which makes you feel comfortable and expresses your individuality. A process which will lead you to develop your own unique style.

Remember everything about you is unique in some way. People are not carbon copies of one another - honestly if we were, imagine how boring it would be. This is cliché - I know. But think of someone who you associate good style with. Likely part of why you are drawn to their style is because it is unique. It is not generic nor copied straight out of a magazine. Doing this and achieving this can be hard. This is where ama tua vestimenta aims to provide advice and guidance to help you to develop your own style.