Dressing Up and Going Out

Victoria Moore is a writer and CSC member.

   I love doing makeovers. If that seems strange coming from someone who's been through Stage II Breast Cancer, it might be if you didn't know how it helped me get through my cancer journey.  Not only did it allow me to focus in a more positive way, it also gave me the chance to rejuvenate myself with the skills I had learned from my past experiences in retail. Equipped with every fashion magazine I could get my hands on, I studied fashion just like I had done before as a Fashion Merchandising student at CSULA. But this time I was doing research on my own since I couldn't afford to get a professional makeover every time I needed one.

 Now that I'm on the post-cancer drug part of my cancer experience, I'm faced with new challenges. My primary dilemma is how to psychologically prepare myself for a world where I have to consider permanent scarring, a prosthetic bra and budgetary restrictions. Despite all of my problems, I still want to look stylish and stay in the fashion game.

   While doing internet research for this blog, I came across an article "Breast Cancer Survivor: Fashion Hints After Your Mastectomy," reviewed by Charlotte E. Grayson Mathis, M.D., where Mary McCabe, RN, Director of the Cancer Survivorship program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Center in New York said, "Everyone needs to reassess their personal style after breast cancer."

   After reading it, I understood it to mean that I'd have to figure out how my clothes could express who I am today instead of who I was before my diagnosis. To do this, I started broadening my fashion research and including the internet. My favorite online sources are tokyofashion.com, Ivey Abbitz, Wasteland, Nasty Gal and Pinterest. While doing my research, I was able to compile my own magazine clip file for inspiration. It didn’t matter if I selected a fashion layout from "Elle" that featured a goth/romantic look accessorized with Victoriana from 2013 or an 2010 article from “Vogue” about pearls, because I was creating a fashion story that could stimulate my imagination.

    Lately I've been influenced by a Japanese style called "Dolly Kei" which is a "vintage-inspired fairy tale world" created by a store called "Grimoire." It consists of antique dresses, decorative hosiery, elaborate hairstyles decorated with ribbons, flowers and other props, pearls, antique gold necklaces and platforms or oxford shoes. Its femininity and use of flea market clothing is what appealed to me the most. My personal style includes the use of girly and feminine elements and the incorporation of second-hand and vintage clothing with modern pieces. I have been a collector and a regular thrift store shopper for many years now, so I've amassed an interesting mix of styles that I can go to whenever my wardrobe needs a boost.

   After studying 150 photos of the "Dolly Kei" event in Japan on Facebook, I started to resolve some my problems and even felt encouraged and hopeful. I looked at myself as a new person - I was still capable of taking style chances and was able express myself in multiple ways. I now feel more positive about the future and even look forward to getting up and getting dressed every day.