10 days ago I had a crisis of conscience and I’m using this platform as some sort of confessional booth.
The reality of my life is this;
I am a mom of three little kids
I work part-time from home (one day in a corporate office setting with a causal dress code)
I live in the suburbs of Denver (a mid-sized city) that, blessedly, experiences all seasons
I travel annually to Mexico and, usually, one trip to Europe (which, in my opinion, is a privilege and not the norm in my group of friends)
I feel the need to lay it out there because here is what my life is NOT;
Based in a bustling city
Jet-setting to frequent exotic locations
Working in a high-powered environment a la The Devil Wears Prada
Chock full of events that require me to dress up
Whew, I feel better now that is out there. Influencing culture has me believing that any and everyone who loves and appreciates fashion falls into the second list I wrote. And while I find the New York fashion scene incredibly inspiring, there are plenty of looks that exist there that I would never bring to my day-to-day routine.
And I had a real epiphany the other night scrolling through TheRealReal when I found this dress that I *just had to have*!
I am notoriously bad at pulling the trigger on purchases and usually need- at least- a day or two (usually a week or two) to think about something before I buy. That is a dangerous quality to mix with TheRealReal because good stuff just doesn’t last long, but that’s my burden to bear.
Anyways, I went to bed and when I woke up the next morning, said dress was SOLD. I was lamenting to my sweet, practical husband when he sweetly and practically said “that’s pretty, but where would you have worn it?”
And it’s like, for the first time, I was confronted by the reality of my day-to-day. Crushing was it to realize that I likely won’t wear a sexy Christopher Esber dress anytime soon. BUT I also freeing that I can love and adore a trend but still know it’s not coming into my closet anytime soon.
My favorite places to look for honest-to-goodness day-to-day style inspiration include; Irene Kim (In Moda Veritas) and Gabriella Gofis (Gift of Gabs). Both women have clear visions for their closets and you will see them *gasp* repeating their clothes often. The true sign of a good purchase is how frequently you wear it, and yet, we also seem to glorify someone putting together an entirely new outfit every day.
In light of this, am I rethinking my most recent post about what I want for my fall wardrobe. As if it’s not clear from my posts so far, I am still finding my way. I hesitated to share this because, who wants to read about someone’s wishy-washy thoughts about their closet? Alas, I have to be true to myself.
Do I still love shorty-shorts and want riding boots? Of course! But I have to seriously consider if I will ever wear them together or if that’s the NYC alt-version of myself speaking.
Omg THANK YOU this is my life exactly and you said it perfectly!! The day I accepted that I can LOVE a trend and not own a trend and also LOVE a trend and thank the universe it’s practical enough that I will be the only person in my suburb wearing it was SO freeing !! Thank you !
This was a huge epiphany for me this year. Yes, I live in Miami, but I hate binding tricky clothes and have no interest in the scene beyond dinners with my hub and GFs. “Basics” can’t be relegated to just-get-em-done status -- they’re what I live in! That’s where i want to invest my time/thought/money and that was a BIG aha! Thank you so much for sharing.