Hi friends,
It’s been a little while since I’ve published anything here. Between wedding planning, visiting family for the holidays, and work (both corporate and personal), things have been hectic! But it’s never been off my mind to write and publish something here… I just wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to say, and then I started to doubt if anything I had to say was worth saying at all.
If you’ve ever met me, you’ll know that I love to talk about clothes and fashion— I may not talk about the latest runway styles, but I’m always curious about someone’s favorite item, latest steal, or latest splurge. I love window shopping, and a friend of mine says I’m always “on the hunt.” There’s something about sharing what you’ve picked to wear that day that really emphasizes who you are and how you approach the world, but I know (very well) how difficult finding those pieces can be, so helping my friends and loved ones find the “perfect” piece is so satisfying for me. One of the most gratifying things I can possibly do is help someone find an item they’ve been looking for— a dress, lipstick, a pair of boots, etc. (I’ve even jumped into hunting for homewares, but I think that’s driven by a number of interior design/decorator friends around me and knowing I’ll be updating my space in the coming months.)
But many times, I doubt the value that sharing my favorite pieces, my latest steal, can bring. I don’t regularly buy large hauls from H&M, Zara, or Mango; I won’t splurge on a pair of Gucci loafers (although I’ll envy a friend’s pair until I die)… but I’ll keep it all in mind, swirling around my brain; I have pages and pages of saved items in my Poshmark likes that I’ll likely never spring for… but there’s some benefit to that, right? It’s not true for me to tell you I buy a haul’s worth at Mango when in reality I’m wearing a tee-shirt a friend decided didn’t flatter them, so they gave it to me; but it’s similarly not true for me to tell you not to buy Gucci loafers, because I will cheer on that decision any day (given they will not put you in debt)!
This comes from a long history of self-doubt, most especially rooted in how we buy clothes. The en-vogue thinking about the shopping of the times, such as minimalism, buying second-hand, and buying “only what causes you inexplicable joy for years to come,” profoundly impacted me when I became interested in fashion and what people wore. What should have become a set of rules I could happily break when I wanted became an imposing feeling of dread every time I moved away from that particular mentality— if I couldn’t pack the entirety of my wardrobe in a carry-on suitcase, I had “too much;” if I hadn’t been lusting over a piece for two years, I was giving into compulsive spending habits and wasn’t investing in my wardrobe. These lines of thinking, compounded with body insecurity from not being super thin or tall, paired with an incredibly frugal nature, threw me into a rut of dressing with things I had on hand, fearing ‘getting it wrong’ and not branching out with things I saw and liked, and ultimately trying too hard to save money by buying things that didn’t make me happy because they didn’t look good and I resented spending any money on them at all.
Over the last few months, I’ve been blessed to partner with a number of friends and family to help them create a wardrobe that works for their needs: a new mother, a busy career woman, someone somewhere in the middle, etc., and it’s reminded me that dressing up every day is for us— for expression, comfort, security, confidence. We become more ourselves every day when we get dressed in the things that make us shine, and sharing the process or what you love should be the cornerstone of that confidence, not wearing the next viral coat from some fast fashion store.
Many days, this doubt can be overwhelming— crumbling confidence in choices I’ve made or joy in things given to me… but it’s something that I think is part of the human experience, and it is something that I want to continue to work on. Friends and family have worked hard to build me up and help spark my creativity in this space, so I want to fully utilize this passion and originality with things I’m finding as deals, steals, flattering pieces, staples, etc. I’m excited to continue sharing that with you all! I’ve found a passion in helping others build a wardrobe that functions for their lives and emphasizes all of the goodness they bring to the world, but how can I accurately or effectively help someone else if I don’t go through the same process and share myself through my wardrobe or the things that sparked my inspiration and put a twinkle in my fashion-eye?
So, there may be changes to come in how and what I share on this blog… but for now, thank you for being here and sharing a small portion of your day with me!
Happy shopping (and hunting) xx
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