Schizophrenic Style: Morticia Meets Mary Lennox

   I have always been extremely inspired by and drawn to Gothic clothing, jewelery, and actually, pretty much anything Gothic styled from make-up to home decor, to art. I shied away from it for several years post high school after falling a little too far into some of the lifestyle choices that are often associated with the aesthetic, but the love never went away. I knew logically that the negative lifestyle and the aesthetic weren't mutually exclusive, but still I felt a disconnect between the person I wanted to be in all other areas of my life and the way I pictured my ideal self visually in my mind, convinced I couldn't have both. Recently, though I came to a realization, that all the effort I was expending trying to "tone it down" was getting in the way of accomplishing anything in the other realms of my existence, the more important ones. I couldn't move past this feeling of not being comfortable in my own skin.

   I am currently exploring a creative outlet which was once daunting to me and I have to say that so far I'm pretty happy with the results. I am figuring out how to integrate my more Gothic tendencies into all the rest of my styles in a way that is seamless and not kitschy. Ex. florals, bold colors and a blazer that looks like it came straight from the closet of Morticia Adams. All in one outfit.

   I intend to write more on this topic in the future, but for now suffice it to say that I feel like I'm coming into my own. My style may be slightly schizophrenic, sure, but as I'm getting older I feel as if I'm succeeding more and more each day at creating  an accurate external vision of myself that is actually somewhat cohesive!

Do you have a signature style? If so how would you describe it and what aesthetic elements do you find to be crucial components that style? How do you blend different "genres" to create your own unique brand? I'd love to hear other people's perspective on this topic!

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