What were you wearing when?
It’s rather strange but I can usually remember exactly what I was wearing when significant things happened in my life. When I got my drivers license I was wearing a red and white t-shirt that I got from Gowings with a white linen drawstring skirt and red leather sandals. Strangely enough I was wearing the exact same skirt three years later when I crashed my green Ford Laser in the rain. The skirt went see-through in seconds and the cop tried to get my number. For my first kiss I was at a disco wearing pale blue jeans and a purple and lime green flowered shirt that had see-through bits of lace. The first concert I went to I wore a vintage pastel knit skirt with a pink lace top and denim wedges - It was a Matchbox 20 concert in 1999 and I screamed out ‘I LOVE YOU ROB THOMAS’ while I was perched on my friend’s shoulders. The first time Mr Smaggle kissed me I was wearing this skirt. On my first day of university I wore a vintage hounds tooth skirt with a white t-shirt and black suede wedge Mary Janes. The first time I puked in a nightclub I was wearing a knit top covered in square gun-metal coloured sequins, fitted black pants and an awesome pair of strappy black heels that I never wore again… for obvious reasons. At the top of the Eiffel Tower I was wearing Doc Martins and black cords and cursing the fact that I was backpacking and didn’t have room for an evening gown and stilettos.
Does anyone else do this? Do you remember what you were wearing when you had your first kiss? When you got drunk for the first time? When you first told someone that you love them? When you got arrested? On your last day of school?
Love Lady Smaggle
xxx
P.S For the record on my last day of school I was wearing my uniform covered in signatures and torn to shreds. I accessorised the ensemble with three senior school ties from the boys school across the street and my skirt was tucked into a pair of satin boxers that had been in my locker for around three years.
What a lovely blog. What a fabulous writer you are…… I will be a regular. I can’t remember my outfits in such detail but I do know I still can’t drink SUB Zero as I puked from having too much when I was 17 (I’m now 30). I think I was wearing faded blue jeans and a denim shirt… double denim - cant be good! xf
Fantastic question! I remember what I was wearing on my first day of kindergarten (and thre were no pics - I just loved the outfit, I guess!). It was a candy-striped sleeveless sundress with a full knee-length skirt and a self-belt. Beautiful pastel shades . . . I was only four years old
I can remember some outfits I was wearing for signficant events. I remember the fuzzy yellow dress I was wearing at age six when I first got stung by a bee…others are more blurry. I fear my memory gets worse as I get older, or maybe my outfits are less distinct…
Gosh… for some reason, the significant events in my life haven’t been accompanied by particularly memorable outfits…. how sad…
Umm, my first day of uni I was wearing cutoffs, a singlet with some sort of slogan on it (that I made up?), hi-top aqua Converse and big pink plastic sunglasses. I was the original Corey Worthington/hardcore kid.
The first time I made out with my now boyfriend - Sportsgirl pinstriped jeans, same aqua Converse, stripy shirt and huge strip of aqua in my hair.
It’s funny I can only remember some outfits…. However, some pieces of clothing I still own I associate with particular eras of my life. For example for the whole of my final year of high school, I wore those pinstriped jeans to death. They literally have holes in the seat because I wore them every weekend. I haven’t thrown them out though because I love them too much.
When I got my first kiss, I was wearing black dress pants and a shiny red boat neck top with sneakers (WHY?!). I was 12, so I suppose that enormous fashion blunder can be forgiven.
My first day of college I woke up late and threw on black running shorts and a sweatshirt and flip flops, which basically set the stage for the rest of my freshmen year (wake up late, throw on what is on floor, grab books, run to class that you are already late for).
The day I met my longtime boyfriend I had on ripped jeans, a striped tank top, a thrifted green sweater, and black flats.
And the first time I got drunk I was wearing a grey and white striped bubble dress with enormous heels, which I regretted later, hah.
I enjoyed reading your what-you-were wearing’s too Lady Smaggle!
I do that too - I can generally remember an event better based on what I was wearing at the time, and often when I’m asked a question that starts with ‘do you remember when….?’, I will reply with ‘Was I wearing…?’. This is usually to my husband, and his response is always the same - a confused expression.
When you were at high school, did you wear satin boxer shorts under your schooldress? We all did, but I’ve asked friends who went to other schools at the same time, and they never did such a thing!
It seems so weird now I think of it. We always used to try to have to bottom of the shorts peeking out under our dresses, too.
You know, I never remember what I was wearing - ever. I even have to stop and actually think to remember what I wore for my formals!! Perhaps that’s why I love this site - it is making me think more about fashion (on myself and others) which I never really have before! xx
love your blog, lady smaggle! want to trade links?
i remember what i was wearing the first time i kissed my fiancee: a white tank top and these purple hot pants. it was in the middle of a heat wave in boston so you can’t (totally) hold it against me!
There are some moments in my life where I remember the clothes for sure. The firt date I had with a boy I really liked when I was 15, white cheesecloth pants and a bright blue tank with rainbow stripes (green, white and yellow) across the keyhole chest. I thought I was so cool but the pants were too short on me, lol.
lol @ Penny’s comment - cuz I do that to my husband too.
ok im going to tell you this even though its off topic and every one will think im a big wierdo
BUT
I read your blog everyday because you remind me so so much of my BFF who has left me for the maple syrup and strapping lads that reside in canada.
Alex if you are reading this i miss you !!
PS
I aslo read Smaggle Style for the witty posts and quirky fashion
Francis - Oh thank you what a lovely thing to say! Yeah I’d lay off the Sub Zero. It burns on the way back up.
Couture Carrie - I wore a Tweety Bird t-shirt!
The Clothes Horse - Oh weird. Maybe it’s the trauma of it all that made you remember…
Susie_Bubble - Well I guess you document most of your outfits these days so that removes the need to remember them!
Lauren - I know! I have so much stuff that has sentimental value and I just can’t part with it.
Ayesha - Thanks love! I enjoyed reading yours too!
Penny - I feel so shallow about it though. I can usually remember what other people are wearing too.
Elizabeth - YES! We all did. Or our gym shorts. And in winter I wore tracksuit pants rolled up. Our skirts were really long.
Fliss Q -
Katie - Oh I would love to! I’m just about to update my site and add a massive chunky blog roll so I’ll put you up then!
Hailey - Mr Smaggle does it too.
J - Oh really? How lovely! I’ve always that weird thing where I remind people of other people. Well I’m happy for you to get your Alex fix here anytime you need it!
Awwww, I don’t remember what I wore when I did anything! I can barely remember what day it is
lol
Oh yes, I absolutely do this. And have a hard time getting rid of those things that were worn during important moments!
Wow, I’m impressed, lady. I am wracking my brains and can’t remember a single outfit from a life-changing event. Galloping Brain Rot strikes again. Thanks for sharing your turning point ensembles.
I have certain things, like, a blue dress with gold sparkly nonsense on it which seems to be my crying dress. For some reason I put it on at times of emotional distress and then drink way too much gin and it all goes downhill from there. But I do remember what I wore on my first day of uni - my peacock blue suede skirt with a pale pink t-shirt and, I think, a pair of those plastic sequinned slippers you buy from Asian food stores for $5. and I remember for my 21st I wore a silk Veronica Maine skirt (and this was before VM was big, I was so fashion-forward) and a blue Sass&Bide t-shirt thta I got for some ridiculously cheap discount. Sadly no photos survive, as that may have been my one foray into serious branding.
Ivy - Aw bless! Maybe you could start doing outfit shots on your blog? That way you won’t forget?
Ambika - I’m too sentimental with so much of my stuff!
Sal - I’m weird like that. I remember really stupid things. Like lyrics to pop songs I haven’t heard in 10 years.
Na - Is that a dress that you wore on new years one year? I remember that. It IS the crying dress.
I read a neuroscience blog and he often talks about the mystery of memory. Scientists are working hard to understand the mechanism but they don’t understand it fully yet. A few of his articles are about people with memory disorders, such as people unable to form new memories and people who seem incapable of forgetting; they remember every single second of their lives. That last one sounds like it would be an asset but most of these super memory people see it as a curse.
According to the articles I’ve read, you may just be exceptional good at forming memory, like an athlete is good at coordination. A second possibility is that it was important to you to remember what you were wearing for some psychological reason during a crisis and now it has become a habit so you automatically file outfits under things not to forget. Actually, as a way of filing memories about important events, choosing to remember outfits may be a very good way of holding on to other details of the day. Tricks like that are used by people seeking to improve their memory.
It’s a pretty cool quirk though, like being able to wiggle your ears - another talent I admire.
I’m not sure how your commenting system handles hyperlinks, so I’m making this separate from my first comment in case there’s trouble and you need to delete this comment. The blog I mentioned is Neurophilosophy.
CJcat - Oh wow that’s awesome. What a great response to the post. It’s weird that the outfits that I remember are usually trauma or adrenalin based. I also remember periods of time according to what play I was acting in instead of the year. So if someone says ‘When was that?’ I’ll say ‘You remember, during Grease’. How cool!