A wrinkle in time | The Fashion Dungjen

So no one has to scour the internet to unearth horrendous photographs of me from my not-so-distant youth to air them like sexy, dirty laundry, I have done the work for you. I am outing myself as a former huge fashion buffoon. DISCLAIMER: From time-to-time I am still a fashion buffoon (just ask my mom, she'll tell you), but I am no longer a HUGE fashion dimwit. I think. I hope. That is my self-assessment.

My self-inflicted roast begins.

In high school I thought I was awesome. I mean, I thought I was really awesome. Clearly, I was wrong.

Junior year I turned into a jackrabbit. Circa 2004-05.

My senior year of high school I met the devil and sold my soul to Forever 21. The vest is a thrift store find that I still own. I wore that blue heart necklace every single day. Once, I went to Lake Erie wearing that necklace with a couple out-of-town friends. My entire chest was sun burnt minus the large heart-shaped spot. It was also during my senior year that I created a hairstyle that would stick with me for two years. Circa 2005-06.

The summer before my first year at the University of Cincinnati, I moved to Springboro, Ohio. I had no friends and spent all of my time hanging out with my parents and siblings. Right before I moved, I pierced my lip and colored a portion of my bangs. Circa 2006.

My first year of school was full of bright colors and lots of layers. Note the necklace and hairstyle carried over from high school. Also notice I am wearing nearly the same outfit in each of these photos. I realize I look like Grizzly Adams in the first picture. Thank you. I pierced my septum in January 2007. Circa 2006-07.

This is right after finishing my first year at UC. I stopped wearing my hair like a woman who had been lost in the wilderness for 20 years and tamed my wardrobe. To this day, the vest in the picture continues to be a staple item. Circa 2007.

Prior to meeting its fate and a pair of shears, my hair, when dry and curly, was 18 inches long. It was time for a change so I loped it all off. These photos are from mid-summer 2007. Around this time I lost my septum piercing to a freak misfortune. Literally two days before beginning round two at UC I digested my lip retainer. I was piercing free.

I love the vintage green sweater. It was thrifted somewhere in Cincinnati, maybe Dayton. It looks somewhat like carpet, but that is why I love it so much. The cowboy boots in the second photo, along with the cardigan, were also thrifted- the boots in Cincinnati and the cardigan in Dayton.
This is the last picture I have of myself prior to my camera's suicide. This was taken sometime mid-February. That blue thing in my hair is a pen. It's a habit to always have one tucked behind my ear. I blame it on the journalist in me. These last three pictures are from my second year at UC.

And here we have me, on my first day back in Ohio after two months in Auburn, Ala. This was from the middle, end of August. One of the most recent and legitimate photos I have. That shirt? Vintage: $3.

I think this is a lesson in personal style, which is super important. Though my big curly hair was obnoxious and unkempt, I miss it sometimes.