How my personal style has changed throughout my 20's — Harris at Home

Style | June 18

How my personal style has changed throughout my 20’s

I turn 29 this year — the last year of my twenties before the decade of my 30s begins. I recently did a big closet purge and it really got me thinking on my personal style and how it has changed since my early twenties.

Some of the items I got rid of, some of which I wore only a few years ago, I wouldn’t even consider wearing today. A short, tight, white dress from Missguided? Yeah, no thanks. That outfit died in Vegas 2015.

I’m not just talking change in terms of trends, which will come and go, some I’ll follow and some not. But my style personality has changed over the years.

Early 20s

In my early 20s, around 2010-2012, my style personality was edgy, thrifty, creative and bright. I shopped on websites like Karmaloop, loved American Apparel and thrift shopping at Value Village for cutoffs and neon clothing.

Short skirts and knee-high boots were totally fire. I loved beanies, plaid, denim and I wore a lot of black. I was going out quite frequently to bars, clubs, dinners and constantly socializing and my closet definitely reflected that.

Mid 20s

By age 24-25, I started to segway out of my edgy phase and started dressing more refined and leaned more preppy. Don’t get me wrong, I still loved cutoff denim and bright patterns which came in the form of crop tops and vintage jackets.

On the other hand, I’d also wear patterned maxi-dresses and pencil skirts. My style started to become more mature, refined and feminine. I wore fewer t-shirts and more blouses. I also started spending more money on clothing, realizing the importance of quality. I frequented stores like Aritzia and Topshop.

Present Day

Over the past two years, my style has definitely shifted. I would call my current style a mix of feminine, vintage-preppy with a splash of refined edge. I absolutely love mixing feminine pieces with leather jackets, colour and block heeled shoes.

Vintage is something that I’ve continued to embrace throughout my 20s. But, the way I wear vintage is different now, I’ve ditched the retro sweaters and swapped them out for timeless vintage scarves and belts.

I’ve always loved bold pieces — that hasn’t changed. My bright pink cigarette pants and my collection of colourful pleated skirts are items I cherish in my closet.

I stopped wearing so much black, especially in the warmer months. I find black can look harsh on me, so I tend to stick to lighter neutrals like white, nude and grey.

Lastly, overall my closet has matured. Fewer crop tops, more bardot. Less short skirts, more flowy midi. I don’t care for ultra-revealing clothing anymore, I much prefer classy, yet cute pieces that are flattering to my body shape.

What a walk down memory lane! How has your style changed over the years? I’d love to hear in the comments.