no... it was when i was trying to put an outfit together out of them, and i went searching for a silk collared shirt, and maybe a short sweater... oh, and heels! that's when i realized... this wasn't what i had started as. this blog is supposed to be an expression of ME and the way I see the world and find and create beauty. not just my own take on kendi, jentine, indiana, or mara and what THEY'RE wearing. this has started an internal dialogue for me, about what is my personal style, and how does it matter (yes, this does seem more like something that should be done in high school, or college at the latest... i'm 10 years late, but i didn't allow myself before, so now it's time ;)? what do i believe about clothes and beauty and creativity?
the twenty pieces project i mentioned before has been lingering in the back of my mind for months. i keep playing with the idea of trimming down to minimalism (the basic premise is that these bloggers are going to live ALL OF 2012 with only twenty items of clothing, and no shopping for the year. to give them the space to focus without all the chatter of advertisements or heart-energy spent on this area of life, while still looking good - they're big on starting with pieces that are classic, can be paired multiple ways, and especially, well-made - so they'll last a year! and they're inviting all their readers to join them, getting down to 10-50 articles of clothing to be a part of their initiative).
i've held it at arm's length because it has seemed like God has been doing something different with me...
i have never been a shopaholic kind of person (quite the opposite, as you read in my last post). but part of that was that i had lost heart somewhere along the way, lost desire, and was unable to even describe "my likes" to someone. just sort of floated along, getting by, being good, etc... but had no real sense of "me" - how God uniquely designed me and delights in me - that i need to embrace, not stifle! so the last year or two has been rediscovering what it is i really want. and part of that has been my wardrobe, and this blog! just getting the chance to experiment with different colors, textures, shapes - see what i enjoy and don't.
but as i scroll through my favorite style blogs (the ones linked above), i start to see a lot of "the trends". you know, the beginnings of trousers coming back "in", etc. at first, i often don't really like certain looks (like when i first saw grandma pants on kendi i wasn't so sure... now i have my own ;), but then they start to grow on me as i mentally play with them and my closet (and my extended closet known as Savers ;) i'm sure this must be how decades of fashion changes happen... i remember seeing aubrey in 2002 wearing neon spandex pants, and thinking NO NOT THE EIGHTIES!! bring back any other decade than the eighties!!! yet here i am, wearing high-waisted pants and bright blazers and legwarmers, and loving it! but, so what does this mean, as far as my personal style? for one thing, it's evolving! like how i am ever changing as a person, my soul being transformed and growing; this gets reflected in little things like my wardrobe. BUT i refuse to fall prey to "keeping up on the latest fashion trends" (especially at MY age - 31 - i'm basically a grandma! oh, wait, joey would have to be a little older than 2 for that to happen ;). i thought about scrapping this blog altogether, but i really feel like it has been good for my heart to have a space to put myself out there, and let people respond if they will, or just have a little word or bit of beauty speak truth into someone's heart. so i'm not quitting. i also thought about
so, what is next then? my outfit, and then the next post ;)
the outfit: top, thrifted; high-waisted pleated sweatpantsish things (i know - you can't really tell how high the waist is because of the belt and the shirt overhang... i'll try to get you another outfit where you can really tell. you also can't tell that they're maroon & black striped, huh? ;), thrifted; heels, thrifted; belt, thrifted; collar necklace, thrifted; long necklace: handmade by yours truly out of a photograph, and a little vintage tin
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