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I decided that since no one is following this and this isn't any particular theme like my actual blogs, I will use this to document my style transformation journey, basically type it out and hold myself accountable and organized and focused. I don't think it will work that well since I am flaky and scatter-brained, but the goal is to look back at my life choices 6 months or a year later after this post and see some visible progress. I guess I could journal this in real life to keep myself on track better, but I don't want to waste ink and paper printing out images found on the interwebs.
Anyway, after watching youtube and looking at pinterest and twitter, I decided that I didn't really want to join the current trends of cottagecore or dark academia or vintage aesthetic whatever is going on tiktok due to pandemic cabin fever. But I did want to konmari my life and develop a great, unified aesthetic style to make me smile after I get off work and have to contemplate yet another year of not seeing my friends or going to the movies or eating at restaurants because America.
My problem is that I love a lot of styles and my go-to aesthetic changes with the season or whatever's hip with my friends and the artist I follow (not my friends). So my house and wardrobe is full of random stuff that I barely use and didn't plan for and may not use again.
Furthemore, the biggest current trends out there, in all honesty, do not fit me as a Southeast Asian. They involve colors that look bad on my skintone (but which I love in theory lol, go figure): muted pastels, desaturated colors, greens and greys and yellows/oranges. They also involve a lot of layers, which I don't want to wear in Texas hell (most of the year) and also don't like wearing in general if I can avoid it. I need to invent my own aesthetic!
Finally, I want to avoid buying new bulky stuff, and try to reuse or thrift or make use of stuff I already have, or konmari and sell things that do not spark joy in order to make room for new stuff. My goal is to be eco-conscious and mindful towards other lifeforms on this planet, as ethically as we can be in this capitalist hell. I don't want to be minimalist, but I don't want to be recruited for an episode of hoarders.
First, I start off looking at my old pinterest board filled with things I know I love. My first inspiration, art noveau, a no-brainer there. I have an Alphonse Mucha print dress, and a book I bought from Half-price books of his sketches and paintings, so really emphasizing flowy, sinuous plant-like lines, making inorganic things look organic but with a lot of green (for leaves and plants) that is not my fave color judging by its lack in my wardrobe. I actually think I look all right in most shades of dark green, but I don't invest in it.
I also have a board devoted to Joan of Arc, so obviously her particular look. But I am also inspired by strong, bold geometric medieval or symbolic imagery with bright, saturated, stained glass colors. Royal blue, crimson red, gold and silver (although gold looks slightly better than silver on me, I wear both.)
I do have a board that seems to be mixed shabby chic craft rooms and lolita wardrobes. So the theme is princessy, lots of roses and pearls and diamonds in white or pastels, maybe fur and feathers for extra Rococcco opulence. This combined with grandma-chic, antique lace and weathered fabrics and painted wooden furniture, old-timey English cottage elements in natural earth tones. This is the board that least represents what I want in my house lol, but because I wear lolita, it comes up a lot. I love all of these items in my mind, but I don't want my entire house, with what is already in it, to look like an antique shop.
Now I combine all of these aesthetics with what is already in my house. The main paint and floor/tile color is white (a decent background), with some dark cherry furnishings, some bamboo furnishings, some black and white composite wood furnishings all in equal proportions. The metal fixtures are silver, but there is also some gold and rose gold items from my previous house. The stone is grey/black granite. Building off the dark cherry and granite, I bought mostly grey and white rugs. There is no real accent color anywhere except for cheap plastic from my college days which for some reason is teal and navy and whatever color of flowers I have collected (a rainbow lol).
My wardrobe is... basically the same state. Divided equally among a variety of polar opposite styles. From gothic to lolita to Japanese/Chinese styling.
I have my work cut out for me lmao.
Anyway, after watching youtube and looking at pinterest and twitter, I decided that I didn't really want to join the current trends of cottagecore or dark academia or vintage aesthetic whatever is going on tiktok due to pandemic cabin fever. But I did want to konmari my life and develop a great, unified aesthetic style to make me smile after I get off work and have to contemplate yet another year of not seeing my friends or going to the movies or eating at restaurants because America.
My problem is that I love a lot of styles and my go-to aesthetic changes with the season or whatever's hip with my friends and the artist I follow (not my friends). So my house and wardrobe is full of random stuff that I barely use and didn't plan for and may not use again.
Furthemore, the biggest current trends out there, in all honesty, do not fit me as a Southeast Asian. They involve colors that look bad on my skintone (but which I love in theory lol, go figure): muted pastels, desaturated colors, greens and greys and yellows/oranges. They also involve a lot of layers, which I don't want to wear in Texas hell (most of the year) and also don't like wearing in general if I can avoid it. I need to invent my own aesthetic!
Finally, I want to avoid buying new bulky stuff, and try to reuse or thrift or make use of stuff I already have, or konmari and sell things that do not spark joy in order to make room for new stuff. My goal is to be eco-conscious and mindful towards other lifeforms on this planet, as ethically as we can be in this capitalist hell. I don't want to be minimalist, but I don't want to be recruited for an episode of hoarders.
First, I start off looking at my old pinterest board filled with things I know I love. My first inspiration, art noveau, a no-brainer there. I have an Alphonse Mucha print dress, and a book I bought from Half-price books of his sketches and paintings, so really emphasizing flowy, sinuous plant-like lines, making inorganic things look organic but with a lot of green (for leaves and plants) that is not my fave color judging by its lack in my wardrobe. I actually think I look all right in most shades of dark green, but I don't invest in it.
I also have a board devoted to Joan of Arc, so obviously her particular look. But I am also inspired by strong, bold geometric medieval or symbolic imagery with bright, saturated, stained glass colors. Royal blue, crimson red, gold and silver (although gold looks slightly better than silver on me, I wear both.)
I do have a board that seems to be mixed shabby chic craft rooms and lolita wardrobes. So the theme is princessy, lots of roses and pearls and diamonds in white or pastels, maybe fur and feathers for extra Rococcco opulence. This combined with grandma-chic, antique lace and weathered fabrics and painted wooden furniture, old-timey English cottage elements in natural earth tones. This is the board that least represents what I want in my house lol, but because I wear lolita, it comes up a lot. I love all of these items in my mind, but I don't want my entire house, with what is already in it, to look like an antique shop.
Now I combine all of these aesthetics with what is already in my house. The main paint and floor/tile color is white (a decent background), with some dark cherry furnishings, some bamboo furnishings, some black and white composite wood furnishings all in equal proportions. The metal fixtures are silver, but there is also some gold and rose gold items from my previous house. The stone is grey/black granite. Building off the dark cherry and granite, I bought mostly grey and white rugs. There is no real accent color anywhere except for cheap plastic from my college days which for some reason is teal and navy and whatever color of flowers I have collected (a rainbow lol).
My wardrobe is... basically the same state. Divided equally among a variety of polar opposite styles. From gothic to lolita to Japanese/Chinese styling.
I have my work cut out for me lmao.
