Six Months of Style

     Although our six month "anniversary" was technically last Friday, I wanted to do something special to celebrate the wonderful months that I've spent with my boyfriend, Patrick. We didn't get to do anything together because he is currently singing his heart out with the Maryville College choir on their annual choir tour, but I wanted to do a recap of our relationship and how much our style has grown since we met.

The Beginning:

     I think about half of these pictures were taken before we actually started dating. However, I'd be lying if I said that I didn't know we'd be together from the moment we met. But we got to know each other and through that process Patrick learned a lot about my style and my blog. The first picture you see in this set was the first picture of us together and the first time Patrick helped me out with outfit shots (see the post where he is still "mystery feet" here). I was so happy to hear that he was interested in learning about photography and therefore helping with my blog. It's made such a difference!

     His style was pretty much what you see on any average collegiate boy- plaid shorts and tee shirts for the warmer weather. He knew that I loved clothing, so there were days when I could tell he was definitely dressing to impress me. Apparently it worked pretty well because we started dating on September 15th, only about three weeks after we met. However, it is important to note that I knew I'd feel the same way about him no matter what he was wearing.

The middle:

     At this point, taking pictures and other things about my blog had become an integral part of our relationship. We were starting to feel more comfortable exploring the areas around us for pictures as well as with the way we both dressed. I was extremely glad to know that some of my less "mainstream" outfits didn't make Patrick uncomfortable. In Patrick, I found the perfect support and springboard for all of the ideas that I had- blogging related or otherwise. The conversations we had during this time really solidified the relationship we have today. 

     Because Patrick is always my stand in when I'm metering for outfit pictures, I have just as many "outfit" shots of him as I do of me. It's so fun to see the timeline of his style progressing. He started to wear patterned or plain v neck tee shirts on his casual days as opposed to graphic crew neck shirts. During this period, we began going to thrift stores more often and he started stocking up on some basics. I think the turning point was when we found a very nice pair of brown dress shoes for only a dollar. He started incorporating them into more outfits which I believe started his love of dressing professionally almost every day.

Currently:

     After Patrick got quite the clothing haul for Christmas (I happily obliged in buying him a few things he had spotted and my parents piled on even more), he started perfecting the little details of his outfits. Considering that Target has argyle dress socks for $3, he loves playing around with color and pattern when choosing his socks. His casual days usually mean that he isn't wearing a tie, not that he is wearing a tee shirt and jeans. 

     The lessons that I've learned while watching Patrick's style grow are many. First of all, it's fun to help someone go through a style transformation if they genuinely want to. I keep insisting that I had little to do with the shift in Patrick's wardrobe and for the most part that's true. I tell him what I know, but I hardly ever insert my opinion about what he chooses to wear. He'll always look nice to me, even if he's just finished a game of frisbee and is wearing a tee shirt and gym shorts. 

     We've both grown stronger and better as people since we met and I like to think that our clothing choices are just a way of expressing where we are in life. Our confidence is stroked by one another which in turn makes us more secure in the sartorial and life choices that we have to make every day. I'm not using this post as a way to say "Hey, look what I did for my boyfriend! It's a total makeover story!". Rather, I'm excited to show the world that the way we dress is more than just for appearance. It's a fun part of our relationship and our personalities and I can't wait to see how it develops further.