Carpe Denim
Real talk - I’ve had the hardest time tackling this post. I love fashion but I have no idea where a person starts when writing about it. There is no one size fits all fashion advice, and I haven’t been sure what my 2 cents could possibly add to the conversation. I think a lot of us want to be given some magic fashion formula that will solve all getting-dressed-dilemas. Horrible news: it doesn’t exist. I kept wishing I could come in here with the confidence to tell you all exactly what to put on in the morning to leave you feeling like a million bucks but when I stopped and thought about what my actual BEST pieces of fashion advice would be, that felt very counterintuitive. Which leads me to number 1...
1. Stop wearing what other people tell you to wear
This is the single most helpful piece of style advice I could ever give you. I’ve owned my shop just shy of 6 years, and I have literally heard every single reason a woman could make for why she can’t/shouldn’t wear something. It usually goes something like this - she loves it but... someone told her she should never wear that color, her husband doesn’t like that style of ____ (fill in the endless blank), she read once that she’s too old, too young, too big, too short, too busty, too pale etc, etc, ETC - to wear that type of style. We take these pieces of well-intentioned advice and influences and treat them like gospel. That’s got to go.
Wait though, here’s the kicker; sometimes the person telling us not to wear something is ourselves. I’m as guilty of this as anyone. In the past (ok, very occasionally still the present) I shied away from wearing things that would draw any unnecessary attention to myself. Blending in to the crowd was basically my life’s goal and I’d forgo some of the fashions that I loved and wanted to wear if I thought it might make me stand out in a way that I wasn’t comfortable with. It wasn’t until I saw woman after woman doing this same thing for reasons similar to mine, and 100 others exclusive to them, that I started to realize how silly it all was. Slowly my style, and how I dressed, became one of the first places that I felt comfortable to just be who I was. I stopped waiting for the special occasion, the right setting, the perfect time to wear what I wanted because I was no longer dressing to please anyone other than myself.
Bottom line is this: if you LOVE it, wear it. If that sounds overly simplified, it’s because it really is that simple. If you feel good in something you will look good in it. Full stop. Confidence will do more for your style than any piece of clothing ever could. It’s cliched advice that is 100% true. It took me too long to come around to this way of thinking, but I’m happy to say I learned my lesson! You owe nothing to anyone when it comes to choosing what you want to wear. It’s great to get input from someone whose style you admire, but trust your gut enough to give yourself the final say.
2. Don’t put yourself in a box
Fashion is not the place to ‘stay in your lane’. I think in this age of influencers we all think we have to find our niche; western, boho, minimalist - and stick to it. It is great to know who you are but don’t let thinking that you have to just one of these things stop you from expanding your horizons a little. Try new looks, mix & match different styles, venture out of your comfort zone. There is no lasting consequence to an outfit that didn’t work out. Don’t take it, or yourself, too seriously.
The thing that is going to take a look from being fashion to style is how YOU interpret it. I think one of the easiest ways to get stuck in a fashion rut is to always look to the same places, styles, brands, etc for inspo. When you expand your fashion circle to include new sources you may find that you look at the things already hanging in your closet with a fresh perspective. Take the bits and pieces that catch your attention and combine them in your own way. Think of it as not trying to replicate the exact outfit but rather whatever your interpretation of it might be. It’s easy to fall into that trap where you find yourself wearing something just because you see it on everyone else. We are all influenced by the style of those around us and that can be a great thing, but it’s so easy to lose touch with our personal style when we get too caught up in what everyone else is wearing. Something that was fresh the first time you saw it can become a little monotonous and boring when it starts feeling like it's all you’re seeing. If you’re taking those trends and putting your own unique spin on them though, it will never feel forced or unoriginal.
Often when I see a look or style that I really love it’s because of the feeling I get from it. Romantic & feminine, rock’n’roll & edgy, simple & classic… and then I think what pieces I have that can make me feel those things. I’ve founds this is the best place for me to start to put an outfit together. The things I own that I love and wear the most are items that hold some sort of meaning to me. I have some vintage pieces that I really love for this very reason, and a lot of things that I’ve invested in because I know that every time I put them on I’ll feel good in them. Pieces like those I’ll never get rid of, and it doesn’t matter to me if they seem ‘current’ or ‘in style’ because that isn’t why I loved them in the first place!
The best part about fashion is that it only has the power that you give it. For some people it is just not on their radar at all - and that is totally fine. For others it’s the way that they feel most confident in expressing themselves - also great. Fashion shouldn't come with judgement or comparison, and what you wear will never be the most important part of you. Now go Carpe the heck out of that Denim.
