Majority of my childhood and young adulthood was spent playing sports. Soccer, to be specific. We won’t count the brief gymnastics stint. As I am sure my fellow lifetime lady-jocks can understand, being an athlete helped define me in so many ways, but it also latched onto my identity. Who was I? An athlete, of course. And that is what I was throughout my entire athletic career.
From childhood to college, I was an athlete. A soccer player who literally lived in athletic apparel. When that ended, who did I become? WTF was fashion? What was my “style”? The answer: I am forever figuring that out and learning to have fun with it along the way.
THE DEFINITION TRANSITION
What I have slowly learned over the years since my soccer career came to an end, is that establishing a personal sense of style is not necessarily easy, but you can certainly have fun along the way. Seriously, If you would have told me ten years ago that a pair of pink platform heels would eventually be in my closet, I’d call you nuts. But here I am!
It took a looooong time for me to feel comfortable in anything other than jeans, tees, sweatshirts, or gym clothes. After so many years of running my ass off, my body naturally changed, and the familiarity of these clothing items became an even greater safe zone to hide behind. Fashion was foreign, and foreign was scary.
So, what did I do? I continued to hide for a while. Then as I transitioned into a new relationship, a new career, and a new me, I slowly stepped out of my shell and learned to embrace the quirk within and express myself through my fashion choices.
THE End Of An Era
There really is no manual for how to navigate the seas post-sports. Soccer was life for almost two decades, then is was abruptly over, and finding my way in a world where I was no longer an athlete felt like an impossible feat. One that was hidden beneath the façade of strength that I learned to maintain. A crisis that was drowned out by the roar of the crowds at the games that continued to go on without me.
I’ll save the rest of the identity crisis conversation for a different time, but one thing I quickly realized was that I could no longer hide behind gym shorts and baggy sweatshirts. I had to start redefining myself while practically all my college friends were still on the team, and I didn’t even know where to begin with that. I’ll repeat, WTF was fashion?!
As much as I would like to say that I have truly “found” my signature style, I absolutely have not. Most of the time I just let my mood dictate my uniform for the day, and that works for me. Other days I truly embrace my inner chameleon, attempting to blend into my surroundings, and that works for me too. There are designers with bold, happy prints that I lean into when I want to brighten up my environment, and there are my trusty platform combat boots for when I need to feel like I can conquer the world.
My biggest takeaway: the world of fashion is your oyster, so dive in and have fun wading in the water.
xoA
Over To You
Were you a long time athlete? Did you struggle to establish your own identity after a lifetime of sports? Not a sports person? Was there something else that you struggled to detach your identity from? How did fashion fit into that picture? Sound off in the comments below and let’s get the conversation flowing.
2 thoughts on “From Soccer Cleats To Pink Platform Heels”
My sports career ended early but for almost 2 decades, my wardrobe was dictated by my old, conservative firm. ? Nylons and close-toed shoes ? were mandatory at home office visits. ? Suits were the expected office gear and since I’m so tall, mostly skirts which was a freezing cold pain in the ass in Alaska. Jean Day was strictly for Saturdays and tennies were all but forbidden. ⏩ Enter Serendipity: I eradicated suits and everything boring from my closet. Since I’m a Money Coach and trademarked my COACH Approach®️, I have a perfect excuse to sport anything Coach. Que cute dresses and jeans with a feminine top. I’ll also be wearing Coach tennies and toting a Coach bag for my computer and essentials. ??
I loved reading this comment, Julie! Thank you for sharing the story of your fashion inspiration! Boring, conservative clothes are…boring! No woman should have to stifle her self expression like that. I love how you have taken something that was a source of frustration for you and turned it into something beautiful in Serendipity! The COACH Approach®️ / Coach apparel coordination is so perfect, such an intentional touch! xoA