Personal Aesthetic Transformation

I’ve been rocking the beachy, California aesthetic for a long time. Growing up in California less than 30 minutes from the ocean, it was hard not to rely on shorts, tank tops, and sandals as my go-to style. There were elements of “beach” incorporated in almost all of my spaces and belongings. There was guaranteed to be a dusting of sand on the floor mats of my car at all times, I kept sea shells and small pieces of drift wood on my bedroom shelves, even my bed comforter growing up had a blue and white sea shell pattern.

When I went to college in upstate New York, I brought as much of the beach with me as I could. I hung a big wooden “Beach” sign on my wall, and put up pictures of my friends and family from past beach outings. When people walked into my dorm room, there was no question that I was from California. I rocked my beachy look with a sense of pride, feeling unique for being one of six Californians in my graduating class. Also, being so far from the sunny west coast, my beachy aesthetic was a nice reminder of home and a bit of an escape from the frigid winters that come with being in the northeast.

After graduating from undergrad I moved to Colorado to start my engineering career. Over the past two years of being an “adult” I’ve found that my aesthetic choices have begun to evolve. I’ve started replacing the sea shells and drift wood on my shelves with succulents and candles. My beach photos are replaced with photos from hiking, camping, and other adventures I’ve had in recent years with friends and family. Over time, my childish beachy aesthetic has transitioned to more of a modern, natural one.

My clothing style has changed as well. Now that I’m a working professional, I don’t want to be seen as a young college student anymore. Even in my personal life I want to be seen as an adult who knows what she’s doing with her life. I found that my old “beachy” style was starting to feel childish and immature. My style is now more of a natural-casual look, consisting of jeans or longer shorts, basic t-shirts and flannel shirts, and casual slip on shoes. After college I realized that it was time to grow up a bit, and my updated clothing style and home decor have helped me do that.

I think it’s common for people’s personal aesthetics to evolve over time. As people get older and their interests change, it’s only natural to adjust aesthetic as well. For me, it was a breadth of fresh air to transition from my childhood beachy aesthetic to my current modern-natural aesthetic. California will always hold a special place in my heart, but it doesn’t need to be at the center of my style anymore.