i’ll preface this post by stating most clearly that i am by no means any sort of expert on anything fashion related! i’m certainly no fashionista and, in fact, this post may be most helpful to my fellow fashion-impaired-istas.
as i’ve mentioned a time or two, i’m in my 40s. you’d think that would be time enough for me to find my style, so to speak, but such is not the case. heaven forbid i’m required to go someplace that requires attire any step up from sweats. it sends me into a panic. preparation will very likely involve at least two hours (not including the previous 3 or 4 hours of forethought) and tears have been known to be shed.
seriously.
thankfully, things on the fashion front are changing for me. i think the biggest change comes from being secure in my knowledge that i am “…fearfully and wonderfully made” (psalm 139:14).
also, i’m learning to know, recognize and accept my body image. not the image i see in my head. my actual body image! there’s nothing worse than picking up a size medium only to discover in the dressing room that you’re really a size extra large! ladies, just like “age ain’t nothin but a number” (which is also becoming my truth), size ain’t nothin but a number, either! there is no shame in extra large or extra-extra large! what’s important is our health and clothing ourselves in a manner that’s flattering to us as individuals.
but even with this newfound security, i’d found it difficult to put a decent looking outfit together. i’d try and try but, somehow, it just wasn’t working.
and then came pinterest.
do i spend waaaaay too much time on pinterest? probably. BUT. i am not ashamed to say that pinterest is teaching me how to dress.
again, seriously.
i do not have an innate sense of style. with pinterst, i can pin outfits obsessively at my leisure, study them, determine whether or not it will realistically work with my body type and level of comfort then stalk browse my favorite stores for similar pieces.
here are some of my favorites:
i wore something similar to this last night:
and a variation of this to church today:
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Source: farm3.static.flickr.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest
hubby likes my version of this one:
Source: junkgardengirl.blogspot.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest
and i wore something similar to this on a lunch date with hubby last week:
Source: polyvore.com via Kirstie - Bonhomie Jewelry on Pinterest
so you can see, nothing fancy or earth shattering. even though i’m mimicking what i see, i’m finding my style.
and what else i’ve found that works for me?
- i try it on as soon as you get it home and i mix it and match it with other items in your closet. i’ve discovered outfits i never originally intended.
- if i constantly have to adjust something – a belt, a strap, etc – then i won’t wear it. if i have to constantly think about what my outfit looks like, it will make me self-conscious. that’s what i’m trying to get away from.
i’ve also learned that it’s very difficult to write a blog post when your son is squirming on the bed next to you while singing “what comes after 39?” in a high soprano, alternated by sneezes on your keyboard. totally unrelated but such is my world.
(hmmmm….that’s actually the second time in one post i’ve said “such is…”. sorry. my attention span is about as long as my son’s. wonder why.)
so, what are you wearing this fall?
