Your Style Has a Mother Tongue & We're Calling It 'Memory Dressing'

Four women on why your happiest years might be your greatest style resource.

^{Cast your mind back to your cycling years, when style was all about not getting excess fabric stuck in the spokes.}

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I’ve interviewed enough beautifully complicated, contradictory women over the years to be suspicious of anything that puts them in a box. But when it comes to not-so-delicate matters of the wardrobe, certain patterns tend to emerge, and this, I’d argue, is one of them: those who mine their happiest memories for inspiration embody what ‘personal style’ is meant to be.

Gym Tan, 64, is a case in point. “The nineties were my power years,” she says. “I was killing it in my career and found a lot of confidence, so there’s a connection to it.” The California-based influencer’s wardrobe, with its simple column dresses, neutral tailoring, and considered use of color and print, has skewed a Californian version of minimal ever since: “It looks modern and confident, and hasn’t changed with age.”

^{If you’re averse to the deep v-neck on most slips, this flattering, bias-cut crewneck DRESS, makes a worthwhile steal. / Mismatch one of these Lie EARRINGS with an oversized ball stud. / I love a sturdy heel, and these wedge SANDALS make transitioning from flats, a breeze. / An evening BAG, with a shoulder strap, so you don’t have to hand-hold it all night./}

Others, who credit the 80s for their long-held style preferences, have said tailoring still helps them command a room. While many, with roots in the 90s, often own some variation of a slip dress, oversized knit, or ballet flat—myself included. (I wore a sweeping slip, custom-made by my mom's friend, to high school Prom, then borrowed a Stella McCartney version for the Met Gala, years later, back when I worked at Vogue).

There are exceptions, of course, and plenty of them. But for anyone languishing in a style rut, overwhelmed by life and an algorithmic sameness, a quiet scroll through photos from your favorite years past might just offer the clarity you need.

Linda Rodin has been testing this theory for over seventy years. “My mother first put me in Levi’s when I was five,” the beauty entrepreneur, model, and author, tells me. After sidestepping denim during a stint abroad, she reached for it again when she later returned to the US, and found herself drawn, specifically, to vintage styles. “I only wanted Levi’s,” she remembers emphatically. At 78, they’re still her staples.

^{I love CoH’s 100% cotton, summer-ready take on a DENIM SHIRT for its boxy fit, dropped shoulder and the fact it’s on sale. / These 70s 501 JEANS with a lived-in wash are perfection. / These SANDALS have an adjustable back strap, and, according to reviews, “the sole is cushiony, and the paracord is soft and comfortable on the foot and in-between the toes.”/ I don’t often wear makeup, so this pre-blotted LIPSTICK doesn’t ever feel OTT. You can layer it on for more intensity. Trust a French brand to get it right./}

The interesting thing about these women is that none of them looks stuck in a bygone era. Instead, after years of experimentation, their most enviable outfits, pulled from their rosiest memories, have been reimagined through a modern lens. What started as a trend, capturing a moment in time, has since evolved into a full-blown style vernacular that gains fresh colloquialisms as their lives and wardrobes amble on.

Alyson Walsh was still at school when punk exploded and began developing an aesthetic mother tongue. “It was all very DIY in the seventies,” she recalls. She bought the NME weekly, and was drawn to The Clash, Joy Division, Debbie Harry, and Patti Smith; artists “who appreciated the importance of image, aesthetics, and music.” At 62, she now describes her style as “grown-up tomboy or elegant gentlewoman—menswear-inspired, but with a touch of casual glamour via a rakish scarf or vintage leopard print coat.”

^{I have a Frankie Shop bomber jacket that I bought on The RealReal two years ago and live in. This BOMBER JACKET is similar (and on sale!). / These COS T-SHIRTS are a great, laidback shape and outperform many higher priced brands. Wear the sleeve as-is or rolled up. / FISHERMAN PANTS are summer’s coolest take on pull-on pants. These ones are by Matteau, but these are a much cheaper option if you want the look without the price tag. / I have last season’s Adidas x Song For The Mute Adizeros, but these SNEAKERS are a good summer alternative. If my current pair are anything to go by, you’ll need to insert a more comfortable pair of insoles. I wear mine almost daily with this little DIY adjustment./}

Since Marie-Anne Lecoeur’s wardrobe follows “the pillars of French chic,” which remains more or less consistent regardless of the decade, it’s a good one to emulate if old photos leave you drawing a blank. Parisian style is about “quality not quantity,” explains the YouTuber. “This is why many people think French women dress the same; it’s why we wear blazers, belted styles, and trench coats—we know they flatter us and make us look good.”

^{A straight cut linen BLAZER with a slight drop shoulder for anyone who believes in the usefulness of a tailored jacket all year round / This CAMISOLE is less skimpy than a lot of options, but still has that pretty lace detail / I love almost all the CoH (and Agolde) denim. And these Lindz JEANS were crafted for real life. Super-soft with a cool, laidback cut that makes them drape around your leg really beautifully (the creative director, Marianne McDonald, is a working mom who gets it). / These Aeyde BALLERINAS have the type of non-committal elevation I can get behind./}

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So, if you’re searching for a style lingo to call your own, consider bypassing trend reports and social media entirely. While we all fall prey to that irresistible trap, emulating someone else doesn’t usually translate. A scroll through old photographs is more likely to unearth your wardrobe’s dialect, waiting, like a well-fitting pair of Levi’s, to be picked up.

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