https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sun, 03 May 2026 03:40:18 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits/page/2#post-1440576 Wed, 11 Feb 2015 00:06:08 +0000 deb 1440576@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Definitely yes, although I am not sure it is good for my wallet. I started sewing at age 5 for my dolls. By the time I was 10 I was sewing for myself and my dat told me that if I continue making my own clothes I could have as many pair of shoes as I want up to a certain dollar amount. Well, we had a Leed's shoe store in town that carried narrow shoes and I had a narrow foot and twice a year they had their shoe sale. I would wait until the end of the sale because what was left were mostly narrows and they were $1 and $2 a pair. I could get 10 pair of shoes for under $20 a season. Needless to say this experience has led to a very bad habit. &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits/page/2#post-1440564 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 23:29:07 +0000 trekkiegirl 1440564@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Summer - you may have just identified something for me. The need for variety... I would actually like to let go of it a bit, and be more focused. Maybe knowing where it stems from will help! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits/page/2#post-1440560 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 23:19:54 +0000 Summer 1440560@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you all for your fascinating stories. &nbsp;It's been so interesting to note the recurring themes of hoarding, the need for neatness, shopping for bargains, and hand-me-downs. &nbsp;Between us we have a book in the making.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits/page/2#post-1440510 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 21:53:09 +0000 retailgirl 1440510@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Because my mother loved beautiful things and taught me to appreciate good fabrics and nice tailoring, I have always, ( since I could shop for myself) bought nice things. It's really her legacy. When I was a child I remember she bought things at a fine specialty store...one outfit was a gray flannel skirt, gray cashmere dressmaker sweater, and a gray chesterfield coat with a velvet collar. She had a pair of shoes to go with it that were by Amalfi...which still makes shoes today. And we weren't wealthy! That was probably the only outfit she bought that winter. ( or year!) But it was beautiful and high quality. I'm like her but I have more clothing than she ever did. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits/page/2#post-1440501 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 21:25:49 +0000 Anonymous 1440501@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My mom was born in Europe and came from a well to do family so she always dressed impeccably. I was born in the US in 1956 (my parents and my brother came to the US in 1950). My mom always dressed us well and I did wear uniforms through 12th grade. I did not own a pair of jeans until I was around 18 and bought a pair with my own money. My mother did sew, mostly for herself, and a few things for me. I grew too&nbsp;often for her to be able to keep sewing for me. I would outgrow clothes almost as soon as she was done making them.</p> <p>My mom did learn to shop the bargain basements of Bamberger's (Macy's) and I had really nice clothes. I guess buying quality has rubbed off on me and I look for quality at a good price. To be honest I have never purchased clothing from stores like Target or Walmart ever in my life. I do buy shoes at DSW as there really are not any private shoe stores where I live anymore, where I used to get all my shoes growing up. I will shop stores like TJMaxx&nbsp; and sometimes find items, otherwise I still shop stores like Macy's or Blooomies or Saks. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits/page/2#post-1440493 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 21:11:50 +0000 milehighstyle (Linda) 1440493@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think it's possible that wearing a school uniform for 12 years made me crave variety in my wardrobe and contributed to my reluctance to dress exactly like everyone else.&nbsp; Growing up in a large family with not a lot of money and a Mom who really put herself last kind of made me go the opposite way and believe that I should treat myself to nice things. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits/page/2#post-1440445 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 19:25:10 +0000 rachylou 1440445@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I love your list: <ul> <li>school uniform - 1-3 items depending on laundering needs</li> <li>2 or 3 outfits for after school and weekends</li> <li>A warm winter coat </li> <li>A party dress</li> </ul> I think that's basically the way I was raised. Which is maybe interesting, because my parents were born at the start of WWII. A general reflection of the times, maybe - and not just the war.</p> <p>But I have a dragon's hoard of clothing now. I kinda think this is my parents' fault, despite my limited wardrobe as a child. I think they viewed children as very different from adults, and when you became a young adult that was something else. You started needing more clothes. My parents really believe / believed in finer things. They paid attention to fashion. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits/page/2#post-1440441 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 19:18:58 +0000 Anonymous 1440441@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What is it about ironing? I've been ironing since I was about 10 years old. My mother had a wooden ironing board that wasn't exceptionally stable. One day I stupidly bent down to open a dresser drawer. The ironing board, with a hot steam iron sitting on it, was near the dresser. I bumped the ironing board with my elbow, and the iron fell on top of me and burned the inner part of my left arm, near the elbow. I had a scar from it for years.&nbsp;I still iron, of course, but not nearly as much as I used to.&nbsp;</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits/page/2#post-1440437 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 19:11:58 +0000 Diana 1440437@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My mom was always a fanatic for a good bargain and I still get sale goggles.&nbsp; But on the other hand I have scored some really great deals being patient and thorough when sale hunting.&nbsp; She also sewed and was really good at tailoring things, so she'd always buy things that were just a little off on the fit and alter them to be perfect.&nbsp; I find myself thinking along those lines all the time, but I have to constantly remind myself that I am at best a mediocre tailor (and I don't own a sewing machine) so I often can't actually execute what I envision.&nbsp; I do have a pretty good eye for good quality tailoring and fabrics though as a result.&nbsp; Another weird side effect of having a mom who could tailor everything herself was that I had no idea that professional tailors existed until I was an adult!&nbsp; And even now I find that a lot of so-called "professional tailors" do a really crummy job.&nbsp; </p> <p>My mom is also a bit of a hoarder and doesn't like to throw anything away.&nbsp; That's definitely a mentality that I've had to train myself out of as well.</p> <p>In terms of style, I have always been interested in it but didn't really develop one of my own until I moved away from home.&nbsp; My mom is a very polished sort and ironed everything. I was that kid who had ironed jeans at school.&nbsp; After I moved out, I don't think I ironed anything on my own for years.&nbsp; (Now I'll iron once in a while - or make my husband do it for me - but it's still a rare occurrence.)&nbsp; Her style is quite different from mine too - it is very polished, modest, and ladylike.&nbsp; She very rarely wears pants, only skirts and dresses and high heels more often than not..&nbsp; There were definitely things - like ripped jeans - that she would never, ever let us wear when we were kids! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits/page/2#post-1440434 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 19:07:42 +0000 KikiG 1440434@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Absolutely.<br />As a young child, I was dressed in either plain and functional things like pull on pants and boyish knit tops (bought by my&nbsp;mother who liked plaid, navy,&nbsp;big white collars, and "wash and wear hair,"&nbsp;all of which were not my favorite), or wonderful and expensive things, that were handmedowns from &nbsp;her very well off friends' children. &nbsp;I was the child who wanted a pony tail and a party dress every day, and being mostly&nbsp;dressed in corduroy or plaid cotton dresses&nbsp;and sensible shoes with a short&nbsp;&nbsp;pixie cut I disliked was not fun and didn't match my self concept.&nbsp;&nbsp; Eventually, the handmedowns dried up, and my mother never really quite&nbsp;figured out that it was necessary to regularly shop for me, among other problems at home, which meant that nothing about me was a priority for the adults there.&nbsp;&nbsp;This didn't feel good. &nbsp;Eventually, I gained control over my hair and grew it, and got a job and bought my own clothes, and eventually sorted out what worked better and worse for me. &nbsp;In a way, I'm still making it up to myself, to have current, pretty and fashionable things,&nbsp;and I do watch myself and self-check for shopping excesses or indulgences.&nbsp;</p> <p>I think that the middle school years are simply hard for everyone. &nbsp;If you are sensitive about your clothing and feel like a "have not" then you naturally focus on what you don't have--the correct amount of the "right" clothing and conclude that was the problem. &nbsp;Actually, the age is the problem, and if you are nicely dressed to your own ideas, well, it is still horrible, but it wasn't about your clothing.&nbsp;&nbsp;I was very, very careful to make stylish clothing that met their tastes and needs a priority for my sons; no need to recreate trauma. &nbsp;</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits/page/2#post-1440430 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 19:05:17 +0000 Gaylene 1440430@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It's interesting reading all the responses. This is a great thread, Summer. </p> <p>As children, in the fifties, my sister and I were always very well dressed--dresses, neat shoes, matching "play sets"--think Mad Men and you have the image. Both sets of grandparents were immigrants and literally came to Canada with just the clothes on their backs, but they all had "skills", so by working very hard, they managed to make a very good life here. My maternal grandmother was a dressmaker and passed her skills on to my mother, so, as children, my sister and I always wore beautiful hand-made clothes. My mother also worked as an executive secretary during the fifties while we were children and was always the best dressed mother around in her beautiful, tailored suits. </p> <p>I grew up thinking it was normal to sew all of my clothes and that everyone understood how to adjust and tailor to fit your clothing to your body. I remember being surprised having to explain what a "godet" was to my Home Ec teacher. I also remember ripping out pictures from magazines in the 60s to serve as inspiration for my own sewing projects so I could wear the Mary Quant-style dresses I loved.</p> <p>My rebellion towards "looking nice".was in the latter part of the 60s when the. "hippie" craze was going full force. My mother hated jeans with a passion--to her, they were work pants. She also disliked anything worn, torn, or dirty. I wasn't a huge fan of the boho, hippie look myself, but I remember tie-dying t-shirts just to assert my right to wear what I wanted. But I suspect her views influenced more than I realized because I really have a poisoned eye for distressed denim and poorly constructed clothing. I also have to control my urge to want others to tweak an off-the-rack item to get a better fit. As my sister says: "if they don't care, why should you?" Good point, and something I need to remember. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits#post-1440426 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 18:57:43 +0000 retailgirl 1440426@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I was born in 1949 and my mother lived through the depression, but I never felt deprived and my mother was not super thrifty. She sewed for both of us and always bought nice fabrics,trims and buttons. She would say why spend your time on cheap fabric? She loved fashion and taught me a lot. But in the 1950's, people did not have the abundant wardrobes that many of us have today. I usually had maybe 5 outfits for school, 1 or 2 dresses for church, and some play clothes. One good coat, one school coat, school shoes and play shoes. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits#post-1440421 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 18:46:16 +0000 Summer 1440421@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b>Author Linda,</b> you have definitely had to learn the hard way. &nbsp;I'm so glad you now have your wardrobe sorted, but I can understand your caution.</p> <p><b>gauche,</b> a fascinating story. &nbsp;Thank you. &nbsp;I hope the panic is lessening for you &nbsp;since you&nbsp;found YLF.</p> <p><b>greyscale</b>, you've had quite a turnaround by the sound of it.<br />&nbsp;</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits#post-1440416 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 18:38:25 +0000 K.M. 1440416@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Summer, what a sweet question. You made me think of my mom and my childhood in a way I hadn't done before. And yes, I owe my style and love of fashion to my mom. </p> <p>Growing up we didn't have a whole lot of disposable income, but my mom always made sure I had cute and up-to-date outfits, all kept in tip-top shape. And she also dressed herself this way. I remember browsing through her fashion magazines since I was 6 or 7, and going shopping with her both for her and for me. She would always encourage me to try on different things and she had such joy in finding outfits that flattered my body type. She instilled in me a sense of elegance, of finding the right fit, of matching appropriate colors, including tights, footwear, accessories... (She also always gave my dad a hand with that!)</p> <p>And you know what? My mom still does this! Some of my best clothes right now are gifts from her. And she does the same for my daughter now! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits#post-1440410 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 18:24:34 +0000 Greyscale 1440410@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I was so anti-feminine&nbsp;growing up, and my mother was too, so flannels and jeans were all I really liked wearing. Mostly hand-me-downs.&nbsp;My mother is quite thrifty, though we were fairly well off, so I kept everything as long as I could and shopping was never a priority.&nbsp;It was so great when the grunge&nbsp;90s happened! By high school I'd developed my own sort of alternative look, but up til then I was a disaster. Or, maybe not a disaster, but just the classic extreme nerd who had no idea how little she fit in.</p> <p>I still prefer casual clothes&nbsp;but&nbsp;I don't dress like a guy anymore.&nbsp;It's a pretty dramatic shift for anyone who knew me in high school or college. Sometimes I still get surprised comments.</p> <p>So, now from my happy vantage point, I don't feel like my past really defines how I shop now (finally, after many years).&nbsp;The&nbsp;lasting effects:<br />1. I am overly modest about skirt lengths. I was way too cautious about what I wore in my teens and&nbsp;20s. Now that I'm in my mid 30s, I won't force myself to change that, but I wish I'd realized that the people all around me were comfortable with slightly shorter skirts or shorts. Things just somehow seemed more extreme on me than they actually were. Of course, some of that might be cultural changes, too.<br />2. I am so uncertain and tentative about fit. I spent years wearing clothes that were too big. Now that fluid, looser fits are back in, I have a really hard time distinguishing "too big" from "just fluid enough." </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits#post-1440401 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 17:41:50 +0000 Summer 1440401@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Fascinating stories, Ladies, thank you.<br /><b>Dimity</b>, &nbsp;yes, I think the hoarding habit is common in people of that generation. &nbsp;I've witnessed it at first hand with some of my relatives.<br /><b>crutcher</b>, I identify with the neatness thing. &nbsp;Looking back at photographs of the time, the one thing that stands out is how neat and tidy people were.<br /><b>Astrid,</b> ah! the first rebel in the camp! &nbsp;&nbsp;It's interesting that you've gone in the opposite direction with you more casual approach.<br /><b>bettycrocker</b>, it sounds as if you have learned some useful lessons about thrift and quality from your mother. &nbsp;I also relate to the tidy house, polished shoes ethic; it was just the norm at the time. &nbsp;I love your comments on red and black.<br /><b>Ann in New England</b>, how interesting that this hang-up about jeans in the work place has stayed with you. &nbsp;I hope you come round to it some time!<br /><b>janet</b>, it's interesting to see that hoarding theme coming through. &nbsp;It was ingrained into that generation that you used things up and didn't waste. &nbsp;Good to know you have stopped yourself from continuing the habit.<br /><b>Windchime</b>, how sad that you carried that guilt for so long. &nbsp;I'm glad you are enjoying buying nice things now.<br /><b>DianeG</b>, you have learned some valuable skills, and we've seen the brilliant results here. &nbsp;Interesting that you used to buy for a fantasy life, and good for YLF for getting you out of it.<br /><b>Celia</b>, so funny about your two very different grandmothers. &nbsp;A crowded changing room, indeed.<br /><b>Tr3kkie</b>, so interesting to hear of your strict clothing rules as a child. &nbsp;Is that what drives your need for variety now?<br /><b>Taffy</b>, your comment made me smile. No wonder you're averse to the cropped pants trend!<br /><b>E</b>, it sounds as if you have learned to go your own way.<br /><b>Lyn67,</b> you have found your own way, too.<br />Dee, glad to know that you inherited a love of shopping, and that you are now more discerning about it.<br /><b>Suz</b>, thank you for your detailed &nbsp;reply. &nbsp;I agree that having an allowance when you're young teaches valuable lessons about money management. &nbsp;Sad to hear that both your mum and you went through a period of denying yourselves.<br /><b>jackiec</b>, &nbsp;hand me downs from your brother, now that's a good reason to treat yourself in later life.<br /><b>AM,</b> navy,kilts and patent shoes - I identify with those! &nbsp;I think you've had a good grounding in style. &nbsp;I love your grandfather's thoughts on your black clothes!<br /><b>shevia</b>, you've definitely inherited the style gene.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits#post-1440395 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 17:30:40 +0000 Anonymous 1440395@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My mother would not buy anything unless it was on sale -- preferably on the "last chance" table. The local discount stores in our area (predating Kmart and Target) were called White Front and The Big A. When I conjure up memories of shopping with her, that's what I see (and smell, since there was always a caramel corn kiosk near the entrance).&nbsp;</p> <p>She once told me "the greatest day" in her life was when she walked into a Washington DC department store and they were&nbsp;having a mega shoe sale: all pairs for a dollar&nbsp;each (this was in 1946). "I bought 18 pairs!" Twenty years later, in a hot, empty&nbsp;LA suburb,&nbsp;the delight and wonderment were still in her voice. Shoes reminded her of being a young woman, on her own,&nbsp;with a great job in an exciting city.</p> <p>Unfortunately, I grew to be tall and not slender&nbsp;-- "big" was the kindest word people used, as in (overheard conversation): "Do you think&nbsp;Gauche is fat? (long pause).&nbsp;I guess she&nbsp;isn't really <b>fat</b>. She's just<b> big</b>."&nbsp;So anything we bought had to be larger, longer and&nbsp;more "slenderizing" -- a difficult combo even now.&nbsp;I was phobic about being seen&nbsp;entering Lane Bryant (carrying their shopping bag thru the mall felt humiliating even years later). And they never had decent clothes anyway.&nbsp;</p> <p>So I was on my own (neither of us sewed, and my mom&nbsp;was busy working, an unusual thing for suburban wives&nbsp;in those days). The&nbsp;elements of panic (about having nothing to wear),&nbsp;frantic searching&nbsp;(I must find something), stockpiling (what if I never find this again?) and&nbsp;sale-splurging (shoes are wonderful and will always fit) entered my shopping life and haven't entirely left.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits#post-1440376 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 16:37:19 +0000 Author Linda 1440376@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I was always the worst dressed girl in school, I think. My parents had problems and outfitting their daughters wasn't high on the list of priorities for either money or thought. We were dressed. That would have to do.&nbsp;As a teen I shared a wardrobe with my sister; what she wore one day, I would wear the next, so maybe people wouldn't notice we had two pair of pants or five shirts between us. That sort of thing. I only started shopping for myself when I started working after school and got some money. Then I got a few things of my own. My own pair of jeans that fit me, not her. My own sweater.</p> <p>My taste was garish and haphazard. I bought on impulse and didn't know what looked good on me or was appropriate for any occasion other than work (in a hospital, so that was easy) or casual (jeans and a tee). If a fashion&nbsp;was current and my friends wore it, I would buy it and often regret it.&nbsp;My marriage introduced me to a whole new social class and world, though, and... boy, did I need to get an education.&nbsp;</p> <p>After dressing completely wrong for two occasions and feeling completely humiliated, I made a point to study What To Wear. I had money now but no fashion sense at all. However I did have a mentor (she was so nice to me!) and I soon realized the advantages of classic clothing, fabrics,&nbsp;and accessories. I learned what worked with my body, and the difference between cheap and inexpensive (also quality and expensive... not the same thing).</p> <p>Because of my childhood and painful recovery&nbsp;from it, I have an aversion to taking risks when it comes to clothes. I prefer neutral to wrong. I do very little impulse buying (one of the lessons of being more classic) but occasionally treat myself to something I simply MUST have. My instincts at this point are pretty good, so no misfires lately!</p> <p>At this point in my life&nbsp;I&nbsp;have a wonderfully versatile&nbsp;wardrobe full of clothing I love, and I'm completely comfortable in social situations,&nbsp;so I guess I've achieved my goal of always having the "right" thing to wear. Yay! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits#post-1440323 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 14:46:40 +0000 Anonymous 1440323@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I forgot to mention the need for dresses (no pants) for church, funerals, etc. To this day, I don't like to go to church or any other major event (high school graduation, college graduation, wedding, you name it) in anything other than a dress or skirt.</p> <p>Interestingly, my mother would never make me anything in black or red. She thought black was only for funerals, and red only for street walkers (polite term). She didn't mind black pants or a red sweater, for example, but she never made me a black dress, and the only red dress she ever made for me (after I married)&nbsp;was a coat dress in a fabric that had a matte finish.</p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits#post-1440318 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 14:36:17 +0000 Jaime 1440318@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ultimately I think my maternal grandmother had the biggest influence on my style - although she was extremely polished, made up, never seen with a crease in her clothes, always done and in every external way my opposite! Still she loved clothes, had an extremely strong sense of style and loved to shop at flea markets! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits#post-1440313 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 14:28:59 +0000 Suz 1440313@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>High five, Jackie. You and me both!&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits#post-1440311 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 14:27:06 +0000 AM 1440311@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I was raised on alimony checks (always felt like we were counting pennies but we lived well)&nbsp;but with grandparents who tried to instill&nbsp;polish, classic (virginian), conservative, formality. Think navy, kilts, peter pan collars, patent leather shoes with mother of pearl button that you had to use that eye hook tool to take on and off, ugh. But I would say this was always in great taste (it just wasn't always my&nbsp;taste). Both parents and grandparents enjoyed architecture, interior design, dressing and&nbsp;entertaining. And the entire family struggles with weight especially in these formative years.</p> <p>For college,&nbsp;I went to architecture school&nbsp;and there began my love of black. And it was definitely noticed. "Why are you wearing so much black? Are you going to a funeral?" My grandfather used to ask.</p> <p>I'm very much a product of this childhood: body issues related to weight,&nbsp;budget conscious,&nbsp;classic (mix of countryside and urban), black, and design. But I don't think I ever quite looked like an art student&nbsp;so my edge might be just before arty -- closer to classic. Still feeling my way upon recent reflection. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits#post-1440309 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 14:24:14 +0000 jackiec 1440309@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Absolutely! I wore hand-me-downs from my brother, or my mom made a lot of our clothes. Even now, I am always looking for a sale. We got one new outfit for back to school, and never the cool name brands. Not that this is a bad way to live, but now that I've got a bit more money, it's still taken me a long time to appreciate or even allow myself to purchase something a little pricier. We always bought the cheapest. Even now I feel a little guilty if something I'm wearing cost a bit more (ie if I show my mom). I even feel funny pulling into their house in a more expensive car. Heck, this year was the first time in my life I've walked into a Club Monaco! It just wasn't done when I was growing up. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits#post-1440307 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 14:23:24 +0000 Suz 1440307@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I love reading these stories! <b>Summer</b>, it sounds as if the legacy of a smaller wardrobe has been a good one for you.&nbsp;</p> <p>And <b>Celia</b>, I laughed out loud at the image of you and your two grandmas in the change room! &nbsp;;)&nbsp;</p> <p><b>tr3kkie9rl,</b> thanks for sharing that about your past. What a fascinating story.&nbsp;</p> <p>I do think my childhood experiences with clothing have influenced my style and shopping habits, for sure. My mother grew up with very little during the Great Depression, but she worked for about a decade before I was born and developed a taste for lovely clothing, partly through connection with Montreal friends whose parents were in the industry. She actually got a lot of their hand-me-downs, and bought a few lovely things for herself.&nbsp;</p> <p>By the time I was born, she was a suburban housewife and she sewed a lot of our clothes from Simplicity and Vogue patterns. Especially the summer clothing, which was easier to manage. My very first remembered item of clothing is a robe she made me when I was about three or four. It was&nbsp;floor length, with princess seams, made of&nbsp;turquoise corduroy, and trimmed with rabbit fur. I LOVED it. Wore it with my red patent leather "dancing" shoes. ;)&nbsp;</p> <p>She and my dad were very frugal. At that time the Canadian $ was high in relation to the American. Once a year, in late August, we would go to the US and buy my school clothes for the following year. Not a huge wardrobe, but a small capsule. I am sure this has influenced my preference for seasonal shopping and planning in capsules. ;)&nbsp;</p> <p>Once I entered my teens, I got a (very small) clothing allowance and my parents stopped buying my clothes. The money I got&nbsp;was not enough for me to buy what I wanted, so I also got a job, and my Christmas and birthday requests were always for the big ticket clothing items like winter boots and coats. I learned a lot about money management and wardrobe management from this clothing allowance experience. :)&nbsp;</p> <p>Sadly, I also learned from my mother's later example. She stopped sewing and stopped buying herself nice things and for many years has "made do" with less than fab clothing. For a number of years, I treated myself the same way. YLF is a sort of "de-tox" experience for me. :)&nbsp;</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits#post-1440306 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 14:19:59 +0000 Dee 1440306@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My love of shopping definitely comes from my mother. We used to hit up the discount retailers (TJMaxx, Marshalls, etc) every week or so. And while we rarely bought a lot, we often bought something. </p> <p>The problem was, it was often pieces that were cheap and good enough but not quite what I wanted. That could be due to fit or style - the clothes were fine but rarely trendy (I think those kinds of stores have gotten better since I was a kid). As a child/teen, what this often led to was a large wardrobe with no real favorites or outfits.</p> <p>As a student, I had no money so I couldn't shop for many years. Now that I am building up my wardrobe, I am trying to focus on buying the right pieces and not shopping as often, even though I want to. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits#post-1440305 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 14:15:47 +0000 lyn67 1440305@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>To briefly&nbsp;answer your questions, YES-but NOT ONLY! My actual life environment (which I have to keep up with in&nbsp; terms of&nbsp;dressing my body) has a much bigger influence&nbsp;&nbsp;for the moment.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits#post-1440302 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 14:10:09 +0000 Anonymous 1440302@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Too funny, Taffy! I won't get behind the cropped pants trend, but not because I'm tall. It's because during the '70s, pants were worn long and if they were short, people would ask, "Where's the flood?" That's where the term "high waters" came from. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits#post-1440300 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 14:06:52 +0000 E 1440300@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Spending money was tight when I was in elementary school, but I never noticed. My mom bought my clothes, which was fine with me; the closest I got to an interest in style was my love for oversized tees, preferably with animals on them. Occassionally we'd get hand me downs, which always felt so exciting to me! My mom didn't make us wear them, so we could just pick what we loved from a big bag, and I knew it used to belong to a cool older girl. Hehe</p> <p>Once I hit middle and high school, I realised I stuck out from the trends, but I didn't want to wear the tight flares that were in at the time, so I didn't think there was much I could do. My mom took me shopping, and to stretch the clothing budget (although money had gotten less tight) we always looked only at the sale rack or in discount stores like Ross or those cheap teen mall stores (not thrift stores; I didn't discover those until after college unfortunately). My mom is a wonderful person and parent, but she didn't know much about personal style or hair/makeup at the time (now she dresses wonderfully) so she didn't pass any lessons along to me. Like Astrid, I had to learn it myself after I left high school. I think that's why I enjoy reading style books and blogs!</p> <p>It's taken me a long time to get over the bargain shopping approach: my health issues made me start spending on good, sturdy shoes, so that was the beginning. So many years of thrifting, and reading about fabric/clothes, taught me how to find good quality pieces, but at thrift store prices I can still fall into a more is more type of mentality, since there's not the same quality vs quantity trade off. I'm working on this! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits#post-1440297 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 14:03:32 +0000 Taffy 1440297@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My comment runs in a little bit different direction than others.. I've always been very tall and grew up with pants that were continually too short. So I was constantly teased and asked "where's the flood?".<br /> So I have a difficult time getting behind the cropped pants trend (that doesn't seem to be going anywhere!). I appreciate the look on others but whenever I try them on I feel like a kid again and can't help but chuckle. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/has-your-childhood-influenced-your-wardrobeshopping-habits#post-1440296 Tue, 10 Feb 2015 14:03:02 +0000 trekkiegirl 1440296@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It's so interesting to read these perspectives. I might be a bit younger than some of you (34) but I'm no stranger to hardship either. My clothes growing up were either thrifted, hand me downs, or made by my mother. I grew up on the edge of poverty in a strange subculture of sorts - in Alaska, in what I now consider a religious cult. We always had just enough, but barely that. I was not allowed to wear anything "immodest" i.e. no pants, skirts had to be below the knee (most were ankle length), sleeves to the elbow, no collar bone showing, no cutting hair, no makeup or jewelry, nothing remotely tight or form fitting. In high school I started sneaking jeans and short dresses to school. </p> <p>In one sense, this has contributed to my philosophy of thriftiness and disliking waste. If I can fix something myself I will. I would love to sew more, but don't have time.</p> <p>In other aspects,I realize I sometimes have a skewed perspective of what's appropriate for certain situations. This is also due to the fact that I was severely under socialized as a child/teen - I was home schooled til high school, which I started at age 12 because I was fairly smart and worked ahead, and I wasn't allowed to socialize with anyone outside of the church. </p>