If clothes make the person, what do our wardrobes past and present reveal about who we were and are? This is the second instalment in our ‘Sliding Drawers’ series, asking Vancouverites to dive in to the evolution of their personal style. Want to nominate your style journey or the evolution of someone you know? Email a brief description to [email protected] with “style” in the subject line.
Linda Sin
44, owner of Middle Sister Boutique, Kitsilano
“I was born in Seoul and moved with my family to Edmonton when I was two. I grew up in the 1970s and my mum used to make our clothes when we were little. I remember a hideous shiny polyester pantsuit – my older sister and I had the same, but mine was lime green and hers was lavender.
“In my early teens, I became fascinated by fashion. It was the ’80s and Madonna and Cyndi Lauper were popular, but I wasn’t bold enough to wear those styles. I was really shy, and also my parents were quite authoritarian and we basically wore what my mom bought us. And then I got into the preppy trend – Ralph Lauren, Benetton and Esprit – I embarrassingly adopted all that like it was the best thing.
“In my later teens, music started infusing my style – alternative music, a lot of black, very baggy, plaid, with Doc Marten boots. I don’t dress like that now but it was the first time I’d had that feeling of actively liking the clothes I wore. At that time, people weren’t body conscious. Nobody talked about being slim or overweight. I was petite and I remember going to buy my first pair of Levi’s. They were way too big but I was just like, ‘whatever, I’ll wear a belt.’
Pictured, left: Linda Sin as a child. Right: Sin in what she considers her "classic style – a short, fit and flare dress, with boots. The colours are maybe more muted than I usually go for, but I guess that’s just how I was feeling that day.”
“I maintained that style till 1995, when I finished university and moved to Seoul to work. I could only find tailored clothes and so out of necessity I had to wear things that fit me. I realized, first of all, that clothes were actually supposed to fit, and secondly that I liked more feminine, fitted styles and they suited me. I lived in an area that was full of independent boutiques, and I was teaching students from all over the world who were wearing every kind of style. I shopped like crazy. I remember coming home for a holiday and my best friend saying to me, ‘Oh my god, you’re wearing clothes that fit you!’
“I moved back to Canada after two years and came to Vancouver, but it took me a long time to start a career in fashion. I had all sorts of other corporate jobs. But I always loved clothes and fashion. I got over my aversion to standing out and fell in love with bold patterns and prints.
“I wanted to open up a boutique and carry Korean designers, but was a bit afraid and I didn’t really know where to start. I learned as much as I could about the retail industry, went to Seoul Fashion Week, contacted designers, and then opened up Middle Sister in 2015.
“Now I’m in my 40s, I’m conscious of not wanting to wear certain things – I won’t wear super short skirts or crop tops. It’s not like when you’re younger and anything goes. But that doesn’t mean my style has stopped evolving. I used to wear heels all the time, but then I discovered sneakers, and that changed my life. Owning my own boutique has made me open to different styles too, especially as I’m exposed to new trends in Seoul that look so futuristic – they are the masters of street style. I’m wearing clothes I would never have thought of when I was young. I wear things that maybe aren’t as flattering, but I still think it’s stylish and, plus, I really don’t care what anyone else thinks. The only thing I consider is if I like it, and whether it feels good – though these days, I make sure it fits too.”
