How much do clothes define us? Or better worded, how much do we let clothes define us? When I first saw Peppermint Magazine’s pocket skirt on Instagram I knew I wanted to make it. There was absolutely no doubt I was being drawn to the pockets and just the overall style of the skirt. To be honest with you, at the time, this pattern felt like the beginning of an awakening from a style haze I’d been in for over a year.

My fabric was purchased from Cloth and Candy. It was my first time getting fabric from her and I had such a lovely experience. The fabric is light weight, so the skirt will mainly be worn in the warmer months or with tights. The pattern is a free PDF pattern. If this is your vibe, I highly recommend you take advantage of it. It’s an easy, quick make if you’re looking for something to instantly satisfy your creative cravings. Watching the pockets come together was probably my favorite part and the most satisfying for me.

As I mentioned earlier, this skirt helped awaken me from what I thought was a style haze. When I put it on, along with a vintage blouse I’d bought from Daisy Daydream, I realized for over a year I’d been trying to be someone I wasn’t. I looked at myself in the mirror and it was like I found myself again. I had forgotten my old soul. I had been trying to dress to meet someone else’s standards. This had all been happening subconsciously and my pocket skirt brought it to the forefront of my mind. I suddenly saw how I’d been playing a part that wasn’t mine to play.

Clothes always tell a story about us, whether we want them to or not. I think the story I’d been telling was of heartbreak and loss, and of grasping for something that wasn’t meant for me. Which is okay; it was my story at the time. That might not make sense to you, but maybe some of you can relate. As I have continued to process what my pocket skirt stirred in me, I have come to acknowledge there is no style I have to embody so I can be the “right version” of me. Maybe certain styles feel more right to me, but I don’t have to claim any of them. The only thing that is required of me is to just be. I have found myself in the past reaching for different clothes in my closet or in a store because I think they will give me worth or they will attract a certain person. I wonder what it would be like if I reached for something because it would provide the proper protection for the weather and because it is aesthetically pleasing to my eyes and heart. What if I reached for something knowing my worth could never be found in it; that it is simply an outward reflection of my creativity and something for me to enjoy? It’s magic when clothes become a tool to create and not a measuring stick for our worthiness. No matter what your wardrobe looks like, I hope you know that as you partake in the creative act of putting together your outfit each day, it is just one expression of you. Your clothes will never define your whole being and you will always, always, always be of great value and worth.

🖤