I mentioned in my previous post that one of the ways I cope with losing my mom at a young age is incorporating her into my fashion sense. I really wanted to expand on how I do this, and how you can find creative ways to do this with all of your late loved ones – and maybe even loved ones who haven’t passed away, who you just adore and miss.

Incorporating your loved ones into fashion isn’t hard to do, it’s just about thinking creatively. I don’t replicate my mom’s style. I don’t think I could. On a daily basis, she wore oversized cat sweaters and Mom Jeans. She didn’t wear makeup and wore minimal jewelry: just her claddagh ring and a locket that I gave her. But I do find ways to implement thoughts of her into my daily style, and that takes creative flair to do.

1. Find creative ways to add things they love into your everyday wardrobe. My mom was just about as obsessed with cats as I am, and she wore cat sweaters. Cat sweaters are so not me, at all. Instead, I try to add our shared love of felines in other ways that fit my sense of style more. My sense of style is offbeat, colorful and yet follows a clear pattern–meaning I always match, and different parts of my outfit are tied to other parts.

I will incorporate cats in other ways, like wearing lace cat ear headbands as a hair accessory, or my signature cat ears jacket in the cold, or my leggings with cats on them. If I’m wearing an outfit with a full cat theme, I try to tie the pieces together with my overall style: cat leggings underneath a tulle skirt, with matching cat ears headband. I often match my cat ears headbands to the colors of the rest of my outfit, since I have both black and white cat ears.

(A photo of my black lace cat ears from Claire’s.)

(A photo of my white lace cat ears from Love at First Blush.)

2. Use their favorite color, and lots of it! When you’re in doubt, wearing the person’s favorite color is a nice way to pay homage to them. The same goes for items that nod at the person’s favorite song, author, TV show, flower, or anything.

I wear purple, which is my mom’s favorite color, all the time. I also like to wear patterns and colors that remind me of my friend Mary, who passed when we were 19 – like black and white stripes, black in general, and anything with a punk rock feel to it. It’s not my typical style to dress how she did, so I find tamer and cutsier ways to implement her into my daily wear.

(A photo of my lavender tulle skirt by Space46Boutique.)

(A photo of my lilac bow bandeau top from HaleyLynnee.)

3. Get a handwriting tattoo, or a bracelet. Handwriting tattoos are everywhere right now, and they’re especially meaningful if you get the writing of your late loved one. You can have the tattoo artist replicate their signature or their favorite quote, as written by them. It’s kind of like keeping them with you always. But if you’re afraid of pain, commitment, or just not a tattoo person, bracelets and other jewelry can be a great way to replicate your loved one’s handwriting as well. Just go search Etsy for this kind of jewelry and you will find a vast amount of possibilities! Bracelets, necklaces, even rings.

One of my close friends has her grandmother’s handwriting tattooed on her, and I personally adore it. For years, I contemplated having my mom’s handwriting on me, or maybe one of her favorite quotes. But I’ll admit, I’m a wimp when it comes to pain and to top it off, I hate commitment and I’m not a big fan of tattoos. I still wanted something that could always be with me – so I had her handwriting made into a bracelet. I had “Love Always” in her handwriting above “Alaina” in my handwriting, because I always sign my letters the same way she did and I think the style shows that I’m always thinking of her, even when I sign my letters. The bracelet was a little cheaper than a tattoo, and I can take it off when I go swimming! I purchased my bracelet from YvonneBoutique, if you’d like to check out the shop.

(A photo of my handwriting bracelet.)

I honestly love incorporating people I love into my fashion, and it’s not limited to people who have passed away. I add oceanic and summery items to pay a tribute to my girlfriend, and use our quotes in some of my bracelets. I often make or buy friendship bracelets with close friends, and similarly, will buy a matching shirt or dress with a friend. These little nods in my wardrobe to the people I love make me smile throughout the day, and often make other people happy because they know just how much they mean to me. And I don’t really have to change my own personal style to do it – as long as I think outside the box, it’s possible to make an outfit work with any theme.

Love Always,

Alaina