If Your Closet Could Talk…

By Lily O’Brien

Photo by Danny Anderson

Have you ever grown into having a personality? No? Well, I have.

In fact, I am doing it right now. Sounds funny right? A closet growing INTO a personality. 

But when the first quarter of your life is broken down into khakis and white polos, personality is hard to come by. Catholic school uniforms practically suck the personality right out of you. I mean the grey-beige khaki skorts are only good for blending in and bleeding through... during your first period in middle school. (If you are a lucky one, the latter incident will occur on the same day as your science class volcano presentation, in which you are then able to blame the stains on some spilled food coloring). 

And after the days of constant clothing vigilance and rigorous monotony, where do you go from there? Is there anything other than “Sunday’s Best,” cousin hand-me-downs, and color-coordinated Soffe shorts and t-shirts, to be used for dance class ONLY? 

For any rebellious teen, of course, there is.

Beyond the conservative, casual, and cringe-worthy, there is an impending goth era. A slight spark of personality in a sea of black clothes and chunky platforms. As short-lived as one’s feisty rebellious persona, the goth phase gave way to minimalism. This aversion to color stuck like glue for years. A new uniform of sorts, but a self-regulated one. This minimalism allowed a simple, clean, honest space to grow from. A blank slate for the personality seed to be planted. It took six years for personality to even begin to blossom, but those six years were filled with positive cultivation, adaptation, and inspiration. No one is more prepared to have a personality than me, but it is still undecided which trait of mine will be most dominant. 

Is humor most important?

The ability to take things lightly and have fun? Or perhaps a curated maturity? I mean, currently, I am a closet filled solely with basics and a singular statement piece that reads as “sexy victorian ghost lady”. And it is that piece, the single spectacular piece, that is setting the stage for the next era of personality… and truly the persona that will be one for the ages. Humor and maturity. Victorian ghost lady, but with flair.