My husband and I have been introducing our teenagers to some of the 1980s movies that influenced or inspired us when we were teenagers—movies that stood out to us or had a strong impact on us in some way. The Breakfast Club easily is one of their favorites so far with its brat pack of actors representing some of the key high school stereotypes: a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal. Because they enjoyed The Breakfast Club and because Pretty in Pink included one of the same brat pack actors (Molly Ringwald), we decided to try that one as well.
Unfortunately, its story and its characters do not have the same timelessness as The Breakfast Club and our girls found it less than noteworthy. Watching it alongside them as an adult, compared to my recollection of watching it as a teenager, I’d have to agree. Still, I believed our 17 year old might at least find Andie’s (Ringwald) creative fashion flair inspiring, and I believe she did, at least a little bit. Especially given our 17 year old’s new interest in DIY-ing clothes inspired by some of her favorite hair metal rockers and their fashion. I think she was suitably impressed by Andie’s efforts on the prom dress she created.
While she is not in the market for a fancy dress at the moment, I have loved seeing the results of my girl’s DIY efforts using some of the concert tees she was considering putting into our donation pile. Actually, they were in the donation pile, having been washed and folded in preparation of dropping them off in the near future, but she asked me if she could take them back. I was happy to oblige. And I have been quite impressed with the options she’s free-handed from her own creative imagination as well as a couple based on video tutorials.
It’s not surprising to me really. When she was younger, she thoroughly enjoyed designing fashions for a couple of the Barbie dolls we had on hand and, honestly, they were quite stunning. She had some of the fashion plates that allowed her to put together outfits and envision style options using colors, textures and various clothing designs for skirts, tops, and dresses. Because she enjoyed style and design, we got her a sewing machine, which she used sporadically but is now interested in trying it out again. Still, I adore the clothes she’s created from her concert shirts so far and I love that she is creating her own fashions and style.
While they are quite different around clothing choices, I love that each of our teens has discovered a confidence in what they like. As my 17 year old has heard me say time and again, whatever they choose, my only expectation around their style choices is that they own it and wear it boldly and confidently. While our oldest is exploring retro and vintage options around favorite hair metal band fashions, our youngest, who sometimes has more sensory related issues than her sister, has discovered some awesome graphic t-shirts that suit her to, well, to a T (or a tee) because they speak her love-of-reading language and are incredibly soft and deeply comfortable.
I stumbled across a quote at some point from Oscar Wilde, the Irish poet and playwright who is most famous for his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, that has stayed with me: One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art. If ever a quote applied to my girls, this one certainly does. Adopting a sense of style, showcasing it for others to behold and enjoy is every bit like any other art form. And I love that each of our girls has discovered a style sense that makes them feel uniquely themselves. Truly, we each are masterpieces of the Creator. Indeed, we are each works of art. As well, I see in each of these remarkable young women the embodiment of both of Wilde’s ideas: they are equally works of art and wearers of works of art, art that suits who they are and who they are becoming.