Written by Katrina Garofalo

The end of the year is upon us, and my what a year it’s been. Between the highs and lows (the very low lows), saying it’s been a rollercoaster ride feels like an understatement. And we’ve still got a month to go. By the standards 2017 has employed, a month is plenty of time for… events to unfold.

We all know what happens when the world is in a tizzy — it bleeds into every fibre of your being. It’s akin to the siren call of a dramatic haircut post-breakup. You’re bored with the clothes you’ve got, your beauty routine could use a shake up. Your style just feels off, somehow. Like you have become a new you and the old you’s look doesn’t sit quite right anymore. Yet, with all this want for change, actually finding the right change takes effort and thought and really, who’s got the energy?

Then, of course, there’s the risk factor. Like that post-breakup hair, deciding to veer into uncharted style territory can be a dangerous game. How much is too much? Maybe too little is not enough? Is “go big or go home” truly good advice, or does that only work if you’re an Instagram style blogger with a personal photographer? Are brightly coloured trouser actually wearable? Before you know it, you’re standing in front of your mirror wearing just about everything you own, wondering where you went wrong and how in the name of fashion you can get back to feeling like you have some sort of control over yourself.

Just me?

It seems not. For in the midst of one of the many identity crises that arise from the depths of my wardrobe, I stumbled onto Vogue’s social media. I took a look around and came to a realization: even Vogue has identity crises. Kardashians and Jenners abound, obscure travel pieces, what I’m calling “fashion music videos” (namely that Halloween series). There’s definitely reinvention in the air, and it seems Vogue is testing its wings.

It’s a comforting realization. That even an institution as iconic as Vogue can feel the need for a little change every now and then, and might even get lost on the journey —veering into uncharted territory. I suppose we should take it all as a reminder that it’s okay to be messy and unsure about ourselves. That it is impossible to have everything figured out all the time, and that no one ever really does no matter how put together they appear. So have a crisis, or two, or three. You’ll get there eventually, and on the way it’s perfectly good to get a little lost.