Some days I feel like I’ve run Oh, Julia Ann forever. Part of that comes from the fact that I’ve had this name as a username since the days of AIM, but part of that is just because the blog is one of my favorite things. The fact that the site is five years old this month blows my mind; it feels like it should be 25 years old or brand new, but no where in the middle.
One of my favorite blogger perks is the ability to search through a scrapbook of my life with a simple Ctrl + F — but every once in a while I look for a photo and realize it can’t be found this way because, shockingly, it was taken before the blog. And some of those are the best pictures! Snapped for MySpace or LiveJournal, these images highlight an interesting sense of developing style at varying levels of eccentric.
Today seems like as good a day as any to journey down the rabbit hole of Julia style before Oh, Julia Ann. Ready?
Phase 1 – “HI, I’M QUIRKY!”
The summer before high school started was good to me and my style. I began listening to punk music and wanted to swap out polos and jeans for plaid, vintage, and Chucks. I went a little far a little fast and tried a lot harder than I meant to. Whoops!
Key Pieces: Unnecessary belts, mismatched shoelaces, knee socks
Exciting Developments: Skirts took over my closet.
Phase 2 – Too angry for colors!
Photos become more frequent and less blurry with the launch of camera phones and decreased cost of digital cameras. My LiveJournal was peaking right about now.
Key Pieces: Black jacket, black belt, black boots, red accents, Camel Lights I kept in a childhood cassette tape case because ~*angst*~
Exciting Development: Started carrying a purse!
Phase 3 – xXsCeNeQuEeNzXx
There was a moment in the mid-2000s when Hanna Beth and Audrey Kitching were queens of the internet, and I thought their mix of punk elements and too-cute toys was super rad. I’d always liked Hello Kitty, but now it seemed okay to rock her to work – hell, they started selling HK stuff at Hot Topic, so I was literally surrounded by her at work! Things were momentarily very colorful.
Key Pieces: Oversized sunglasses, Hello Kitty necklace, Tokidoki x LeSportsac bag, plastic tiara
Exciting Development: I had a job in retail which means ALL THE DISCOUNTS!
Phase 5 – Vintage Vibes
As a new college student, I wanted to mature my look…and I did so by attempting to wear only ill-fitting vintage and vintage-inspired pieces
Key Pieces: Circle skirt, red lipstick, unattainable Modcloth wishlist
Exciting Development: Finally learned to apply red lipstick! (Still skipped the brows.)
Phase 6 – “Help me, I’m poor”
I moved into the city and got an apartment with an Arch view. But… I knew no one, felt out of place at my preppy college, and ran out of money immediately.
Key Pieces: Ribbed tanks, everything you own from high school styled in a way that feels new because you’re in college now so you’re a total adult, things that highlight the boobs
Exciting Development: I had the chest I’d always wanted!
I’ve hung up a few items for good — and a lot were donated, ruined, or lost — but plenty of these pieces will have a home with me forever. It’s funny how your style changes over time!
I wonder which of my latest posts will be the funniest when Oh, Julia Ann celebrates its tenth anniversary…
