WIW: 20th reunion

I'm home in Connecticut for Thanksgiving and tonight happened to be my 20th high school reunion.

I went, but it was a hard decision, to be honest. My school was tiny (graduating class of 68), and while the other kids weren't monsters to me, I was one of the very unpopular students. I was so awkward and lost in my own world of books. I really blossomed in college and I was more or less happy to never look back.

So of course, having decided to go, I particularly wanted to look chic. I wore my best-fitting skinny jeans (Genetic - as a biologist, the embroidered DNA logo is like a talisman) and my new Aritzia sweater. And I wore my Converse shroud wedges from last year's NAS. I had no idea I'd wear them so often, but they're amazing.

The reunion wasn't a smashing success for me, but I found people to talk to all evening. The attendees were all people who stayed in our rural town, and though the town is really a lovely place, I would have enjoyed catching up with the people who spread their wings and left. Most people ignored me, and I ignored them. But at least I know I looked a lot better than I did back then! (Everyone looked great, in fact!)

Bonus picture of my mother's horse enjoying the aftermath of apple pie -- and yes, that's an electric fence that I accidentally threw those peels onto! No horses were injured.

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27 Comments

  • kellygirl replied 7 years ago

    Smashing outfit! You look so modern and cool. I would have wanted to talk to you for sure. I'm not sure I'll ever make it to one of my reunions--I think I'll just live vicariously through yours!

  • Joy replied 7 years ago

    Congratulations on going to your reunion. They can be difficult because everyone seems to stick with the same friends that they had in highschool. I was shocked at how many of my classmates were smokers and had to leave early to get away from the smokey room. You look fabulous.

  • Firecracker (Sharan) replied 7 years ago

    You look so cool and chic. I admire you for taking the plunge and attending the reunion. It's so funny--I'd go out of my way for a YLF meetup before I'd do the same for a high school reunion!

  • catgirl replied 7 years ago

    A perfect look to feel like your best self. I wore leather skinnies to my reunion when everyone else was in LBDs because I needed to bring on the fierce. You did well.

  • replied 7 years ago

    You looked great. Now you've done it, you can check that off the list and move on. Cute horse.

  • Barbara Diane replied 7 years ago

    Congrats for going and talking to people. You picked a fab outfit.

  • Bijou replied 7 years ago

    You look incredibly chic and interesting, definitely someone that I would gravitate to at an event like that. I love the horse pic too - I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

  • cindysmith replied 7 years ago

    Cool outfit! You look great. and you are far braver than I am, I have yet to go to a h.s. reunion (and we've had several since 1988 when I graduated)

  • Momo replied 7 years ago

    You look great and congratulations on your bravery!

  • lpr200 replied 7 years ago

    You looked fabulous and you're rave!

  • Susie replied 7 years ago

    I agree with the others in that I would have been drawn to you. You have such a unique style and every piece you wear is interesting. I've only ever attended one reunion- my 10th so it was many years ago! Good for you for going!

  • Janet replied 7 years ago

    You look great! I really enjoy your style, and this outfit captures it so well.

    I had mixed feelings about going to my reunions, but since my school was quite large, I figured I'd find some people to connect with, and sure enough, I never regretted going. The fact that I still live about 45 minutes from where I grew up makes it not so stressful to go. Plus, three of my closest friends have been my closest friends since about 7th grade. I went to the 10, 20, and 30 year reunions -- yikes! It's always interesting to see how some people change, and some people never do. Facebook has taken some of the mystery and surprise out of reunions though.

  • Ledonna N. replied 7 years ago

    I really like that you went back to your H.S. reunion.

    This fit is actually perfect in my book for you.

  • Angie replied 7 years ago

    Killer

    You look very YOU and happy too. 

  • JAileen replied 7 years ago

    You look fab! They were probably too intimidated to talk to you. Seriously.

    I'm a lot older than you. I've gone to all but my 40th. I decided life was too short.
    10th: everyone trying to impress each other
    20th: everyone trying to show you pics of their kids
    30th: women look good, men don't. In fact, many men were dead due to drugs. Also, women must use more sunscreen.

  • rachylou replied 7 years ago

    Superlative outfit!

    I went to my fifth reunion and took my own entertainment - my bff. He talked to more people than I did, lol. The thing about my school is that I didn't go from middle school like most and didn't board. I really had my set of friends already from elsewhere. I made more friends with classmates AFTER graduating than while there, lol.

    Man, I even went abroad with those people and made more friends with people on the road than with them. Haha. And yet, I really liked my school.

  • Suz replied 7 years ago

    You look fantastic. Beautifully armed for the event yet perfectly appropriate. :)   Living well is the best revenge, and going to these events can be cathartic in the sense that it shows you that you've made the right choices (not that you had any doubts!) 

    The horse is gorgeous, too! 

  • Sal replied 7 years ago

    You look awesome, great choice of look here.

    We had a 20th reunion, I helped organise it.  It was fascinating how nervous people were - my job was taking RSVPs and so many people commented how worried they were about attending.  Actually it was a very relaxed and fun night and quite a healing occasion.  What I realised is what babies we were - and we all did silly things back then, and most of it was hormones, immaturity, peer pressure and in part our school culture.  This was just pre-facebook (for me anyway), so if we have a 30th (next year) it will be quite different.

  • Bonnie replied 7 years ago

    You look wonderful and I agree with what Suz said.

  • UmmLila (Lisa) replied 7 years ago

    This outfit showcases the newer, cooler you very well.

  • Beth Ann replied 7 years ago

    I love the way you kept the "you" in your reunion outfit!

  • Sisi replied 7 years ago

    You look super chic ! I agree with Jaileen,  your former classmates were intimidated by your fabness. Beautiful horse picture. By the way, when I saw it I thought "What a nice idea to hang colored ribbons to a fence ..." . Hee-hee.

  • LazyFox replied 7 years ago

    You picked a fab outfit!

  • jenanded replied 7 years ago

    Say again - as a biologist; and I felt better than I did when I was at school; and quite a few more comments. You look amazing, and sound like such a modest, but competent and interesting person. That all sounds like a perfectly lovely place to 'be'. And gorgeous horse too.

  • Style Fan replied 7 years ago

    You look amazing and I would have wanted to talk to you for sure.  The horse is gorgeous.  Lovely.

    Congratulations for going to the H. S. reunion.  They are not always easy.  Our H. S. has only had one reunion.  35 years and that was awhile ago.  It was a very small class.  People came quite a distance to the reunion.  It was wonderful to see everyone but we had all evolved. 

  • Greyscale replied 7 years ago

    Thanks for all the very supportive comments, ladies. I've been traveling home so I just had a chance to read back through and honestly you all made me feel much happier about having gone! It wasn't a bad evening at all.

    JAileen - it was true for mine too, the women all looked great. That's tragic about men dead to drugs -- I don't know if my hometown has been hit hard by the rural heroin situation but it fits the profile so I suspect there will be more of that ahead.

    Alaskagirl - So impressed that you wore leather pants! Brilliant choice. I knew our event would be rather casual so I didn't dress up, per se, but everyone had put extra effort into looking sharp.

  • Jaime replied 7 years ago

    You look great. I have never been to a reunion of any sort. I did not attend my graduations either. What a curmudgeon I am.

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