Carl Trotter
Member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2021
- Messages
- 11
- Reaction score
- 13
Good evening everyone! I hope you have all been well and are having a great year.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could see where we all came from and stand proud of where we are?
Wouldn't it be nice if we could all share our darkest hours as proof that no matter where the journey starts, you can make it!
Well, that is why I've created this post. To the guy who's just discovered Styleforum and doesn't think they can make it, or for the guy who has been here for a while and comes here to say "That was me!" at another fellow that's gone from T-Shirt to Tuxedo.
I'll happily start off:
Before, 11 years old (excuse the gremlin-posture, British teeth, and unruly hair):
After, 17 years old:
And an extra with my new Top Hat
So, how did my Style Journey ignite? To roll back the clock 6 years, I was an 11-year-old kid who in the space of a month had just been diagnosed with autism, parents had just been divorced and I had moved into a High School where I was almost expelled... twice, I was completely lost, my halcyon days were over and I was wearing whatever my parents could get a hold of from local charity shops as I was hastily ferried from house to house. It was about this time that we moved house away from all my friends as my parents took posts on opposing sides of the city leaving me to escape into the Web to find constant comfort.
It was then that, through a friend of mine showing me 1935 Top Hat, I found the Turpsicharean talents and sartorial style of Fred Astaire - Like a beacon in my life. From then on, I started taking better care of my clothes and really taking my School Uniform seriously, doing any task I could around the house to get money so I could get my Blazer tailored, etc. This development continued slowly leading me to become obsessed with School and performing well. My music tastes shifted towards Jazz Standards and Classical Music with pieces from the Titanic Songbook and singers like Mr. Nat King Cole or Frank Sinatra being my new earworms. Slowly, this continued through the years and I built up this goal of assembling a White Tie ensemble for the 6th year Dance before I leave for university. So what did I do? I spend the next years studying and earning money for myself. The dance was sadly Cancelled, but my Top Hat White Tie and Tails hangs proudly as a testament to my journey. My whole life has changed, from getting those braces off, working out 3 times a week, eating properly and even just tonight I've finally saved for my first proper suit for future happy years of studying. I've even invested myself in extracurricular hobbies like my local CCF Navy Cadets section, which I now lead (That is what the uniform is for, but that was before I got my rank badged sewn on). All thanks to forums and places like this.
Thank you to everyone on StyleForum for helping give me the advice over the years, I cannot wait to hear your Style Stories!
Wouldn't it be nice if we could see where we all came from and stand proud of where we are?
Wouldn't it be nice if we could all share our darkest hours as proof that no matter where the journey starts, you can make it!
Well, that is why I've created this post. To the guy who's just discovered Styleforum and doesn't think they can make it, or for the guy who has been here for a while and comes here to say "That was me!" at another fellow that's gone from T-Shirt to Tuxedo.
I'll happily start off:
Before, 11 years old (excuse the gremlin-posture, British teeth, and unruly hair):
After, 17 years old:
And an extra with my new Top Hat
So, how did my Style Journey ignite? To roll back the clock 6 years, I was an 11-year-old kid who in the space of a month had just been diagnosed with autism, parents had just been divorced and I had moved into a High School where I was almost expelled... twice, I was completely lost, my halcyon days were over and I was wearing whatever my parents could get a hold of from local charity shops as I was hastily ferried from house to house. It was about this time that we moved house away from all my friends as my parents took posts on opposing sides of the city leaving me to escape into the Web to find constant comfort.
It was then that, through a friend of mine showing me 1935 Top Hat, I found the Turpsicharean talents and sartorial style of Fred Astaire - Like a beacon in my life. From then on, I started taking better care of my clothes and really taking my School Uniform seriously, doing any task I could around the house to get money so I could get my Blazer tailored, etc. This development continued slowly leading me to become obsessed with School and performing well. My music tastes shifted towards Jazz Standards and Classical Music with pieces from the Titanic Songbook and singers like Mr. Nat King Cole or Frank Sinatra being my new earworms. Slowly, this continued through the years and I built up this goal of assembling a White Tie ensemble for the 6th year Dance before I leave for university. So what did I do? I spend the next years studying and earning money for myself. The dance was sadly Cancelled, but my Top Hat White Tie and Tails hangs proudly as a testament to my journey. My whole life has changed, from getting those braces off, working out 3 times a week, eating properly and even just tonight I've finally saved for my first proper suit for future happy years of studying. I've even invested myself in extracurricular hobbies like my local CCF Navy Cadets section, which I now lead (That is what the uniform is for, but that was before I got my rank badged sewn on). All thanks to forums and places like this.
Thank you to everyone on StyleForum for helping give me the advice over the years, I cannot wait to hear your Style Stories!
