I’ve blogged here before about my evolving relationship with style. This year I decided to lean into it as a new side hobby (besides writing, of course). One reason is that I needed a new side hobby: gardening hasn’t been doing it for me, contra dancing has been scant although that’s about to change, travel has still been mostly on hold, and I like rotating hobbies but it’s been a while since I picked up a new one. Another is that [CW: weight…..] like many people, I’ve gained weight in the past few years, so I wanted to tap into ways to feel good about my body as it is now.
Instagram has turned out to be a great source for that, interestingly enough. Yes, yes, the evils of social media and so on, but it’s all about who you interact with and follow/friend.
I’m now following a variety of folks of all sizes, some style-related, others exercise- and outdoors-related (more aspirational than inspirational at this point, alas). I’m staying away from “how to flatter your body” and “how not to wear…” accounts, focusing instead on people with a wide range of personal styles, both trendy and not.
“Midsize” is a term originating on TikTok, meaning folks who, like me, aren’t quite plus size but are near the top of “straight” sizes. Following midsize style accounts gives me a sense of how things might look on my body and encourages me to be more daring. I’m also following people who wear things I never would, but they remind me that it’s okay to take style risks and do your own thing.
I’ve started a dedicated Instagram account so I could join in: https://www.instagram.com/siripaulson_serialhobbyist/ (Notice the username. I’m hedging my bets…see the beginning of this post!) It’s giving me an outlet to post the outfits that bring me joy and to share the thoughts about style that have been pinging around in my head (I am a writer, after all…).
(My main account at https://www.instagram.com/siripaulson/ will remain the place where I post about my writing, things I’m reading/watching/listening to, nature photography, and general life stuff. Haven’t yet decided where cooking, gardening, and travel posts will go.)
As you can see, currently I’m digging natural, soft, cozy, sensory-friendly fabrics; straight jeans; long cardis; layering and mixing textures and patterns; floral prints; lots of blues, greys, and orange/rust/reds.
Circumstances are about to shift again. I’m gradually transitioning back to hybrid work, starting this week, after being almost entirely WFH for the past three years. The shift will no doubt be reflected in my style journey, as I get a better sense of what my colleagues are wearing (not always easy to tell on video calls). I imagine I’ll get back to wearing necklaces, which used to be a staple in my pre-pandemic wardrobe. Or maybe not. Who knows? I’m still surprising myself — and that’s the whole point.