You may have noticed, but there are one zillion fashion bloggers and one zillion plus one fashionista Instagram accounts telling us about the trending styles of the season that we must wear now. I like to write (ehh…mostly talk) about fashion. No one gave me permission – nor did anyone necessarily encourage me (except you, Mom) – but it’s a passion. It’s an interest. It’s something I get excited about and it sometimes gets me out of bed in the morning. If I’m being honest, sometimes I have a great outfit planned and I’m pumped to wear it. That is embarrassing now that I’ve confessed that publicly, but that’s me. And I’m confident you can relate to this.
Cultural influence on style and the fashion gods are great – they keep us entertained, they keep us looking fabulous, they keep our bank accounts near the red.
But…
Fashion is intimidating! (#amen #applause) We’re constantly told what to wear, what not to wear, what is so hot right now, what fashion bloggers “love love love” right now – but there is a major element that we should talk about. Creating your own style should be just that – yours! You have to wear what you are comfortable wearing. You have to wear what you want to wear. If you aren’t comfortable (physically/emotionally…both real concerns) or don’t even like the style you selected on said day – what’s the point? Your style is a creative expression of you – try some fun new trending styles, stick to your old standbys (hey black turtleneck! hey black leggings!), and look in the mirror and tell yourself that you look goooood.
A few funny stories to share that are (somewhat) related to this topic…
Last summer, I was fairly excited about the return of the shortall. What is the shortall? It’s the cutoff overall shorts. Yes – I was cautious at first when I spotted her on the rack, but then I channeled my 5th grade self and bought a pair (writers note: I buckle both straps…none of that one on/one off the shoulder look for me). I boldly wore them out on a hot July day. I saw a lot of friends and family that day – I got a couple of great compliments, a couple of side-stares, and one friend even told me I was so brave to wear the style. And you know what? I loved it. I felt awesome. I was comfortable. And I didn’t really care what others thought. Win.
In another situation, I had a rather humorous reaction. I recently bought into the trend of t-shirts with ripped necklines (yes, I know it’s dumb to buy ripped clothes…but I’m following my heart when I shop and not my logic). I put on my beautifully ripped shirt for its inaugural wear while on vacation with friends and family. While sitting in the kitchen eating breakfast, my friend’s dad walked into the kitchen and he told me that something happened to my shirt and it had ripped. The look on his face and the tone of his voice was marked with concern. I started laughing and explained to him that I had paid for that rip – and I verbally acknowledged that while this sounded ridiculous, he should remain calm because no, my wardrobe was functioning as I intended. It still makes me laugh when I remember that moment – and while he continued to give me a perplexed look at my wardrobe choice, I stood firm.
I could go on with more of these stories but let’s cut me off. If I try to sum it up into three simple words, it’s this: you do you. It is my favorite saying that I’m likely overusing right now. But in all seriousness, if you are a fashionista following all the latest trends or you’re confused by all of the hype around fashion – as long as you stick to your own sense of style & wear what makes you feel good, you are creating your own personal style. And it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, because you’re doing you.
1 comment
Love!