I Don’t Know…It Could Have Been…

Taking chances…

Over the course of the last few months, I have really pushed myself out of my comfort zone when it comes to clothing. I know some of you may have just spit out your coffee or Diet Coke because how edgy have I actually been!! I do find myself more purposefully looking for different combinations of prints and textures than I did before I started blogging. It’s like I’m afraid I’ll be caught out for being an impostor!

There have been lots of successes!

And, as I think back on my outfits (posted and not posted), I think I’ve grown in my fashion “sense”. I’m not afraid to combine stripes with pretty much anything. In my PB (pre blog) life, I mixed stripes with other patterns but in small doses. Those doses were small scale stripes and small scale patterns (usually another stripe or a very minimal floral). Now, I’m not afraid to just throw stripes at anything! I also love plaids with florals. This summer, AB (after blog), I actually wore a tie dyed tee with a skirt that had a coastal village scene. The colors were similar but didn’t completely match. I’m sure there were a few side eyes. What’s the difference? I’ve gained this confidence because I’M A BLOGGER, BABY!!!

But, there have been failures, too.

You know those memes that show “What I think I look like; what I really look like”? I think I fall into that category a lot! I always think of myself as this relatively tall, willowy girl. In reality, I’m short, of a certain age (what do we call ourselves now), and definitely not willowy! I’m more in the lines of voluptuous and Rubenesque! And, what looks good on a tall willowy girl definitely looks different on a short, rounder woman! That is not necessarily a bad thing…not at all. It’s just, sometimes, I have to see myself in a picture to see how round and short I actually am. My mirror is a liar! It confirms I am, indeed, tall and lithe!

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I remember, back when I worked in downtown Fort Wayne, shopping at a family owned womenswear store. We had an hour off for lunch every day and would often go shopping. One day, I saw a kelly green dress with some special detail. I fell in love with it! On a Saturday, I convinced Nigel to go and look at it. I couldn’t wait to show him! The sales associate pulled the dress for me, and Nigel waited for me to come out of the dressing room. Both the sales associate and Nigel were less than thrilled when I walked out. I was so in love with that dress I failed to see nothing about it worked for me…not the color, not the style…nothing! There was not one thing they could say to convince me the dress didn’t immediately transform me into Cinderella (or any other princess)! I went home with the dress. I soon realized it wasn’t right for me at all. I ended up returning it for a different dress (which I maybe wore once and gave to my sister-in-law). All of that is to say I sometimes don’t see what is right in front of me!

Here’s an example of a could have been good.

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When I pulled this skirt out for today’s post, I wasn’t sure what to pair with it. It’s got a lovely print with lots of different colors. Of course, it’s from April Cornell. I have a tunic in the same print, but I didn’t think to put them together. I’m going to have to give it a try. Offhand, I don’t remember the style of the tunic. Anyway, I digress! I went poking around in my closet to find something to match this skirt. I found this cardigan which picked up the teal in the skirt. Then, I needed something under the cardigan. And, I turned to my trusty little striped tank! I don’t know how much I paid for this tank, but it has been worth its weight in gold! The green in the stripe echoed the green in the skirt.

The problem, however, was in the length of the cardigan. Since I am short-waisted, the skirt came all the way up to my bosom! I really didn’t want to accentuate that so I tried buttoning up just the middle of the cardigan. I didn’t like the way that looked. I didn’t want to put a belt over it. Then, an “aha” moment! I tied the cardigan like one would with a shirt. Voila!

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This skirt is a different kind of fit. It’s cut a bit on the bias and has all of these different insets. It’s a bit more body conscious than I usually wear. As I look at this outfit, I’m not sure it works. Actually, I think it does work, but it needs some tweaks. As I look at the photos, one of the things I notice first is how much it emphasizes my bust. Perhaps, I should have pulled the cardigan a bit tighter so it wouldn’t gap open in that area. Maybe replacing the cardigan with a denim shirt would look a little more polished. I’m just not 100% sure what doesn’t work with this look. I like the separate pieces, but I’m not positive they work together. Theoretically, they should. In reality, I think I look dumpy and…should I say it…matronly!

The Lewk

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This skirt really does have a gorgeous print. I should have taken a close up of it. And, the insets are actual crocheted lace. It just has such a lovely swooshy-ness about it. The cardigan is a decade old at least and is from Talbots. The boots are even older and are from Born. I have worn the black version before on the blog. I love the shading on the toes. I know some people build their outfits around their shoes. I am not one of those people though I do love shoes! I did know, when I pulled out the skirt, I would be wearing these boots (similar, similar). I accessorized with a multi strand beaded necklace pulling out the lavender from the skirt and prasiolite earrings. I don’t usually wear bracelets when I’m wearing long sleeves. Who knows…that may be the next fashion frontier I conquer!

Wrap it up, Marsha!

Do many of you wonder why I end with this heading? When I was teaching, my lesson introductions (hooks in education parlance) could and sometimes did go on forever! My students loved that because they could just tune me out, I’m sure! In my head, I would have to say, “Wrap it up, Marsha!” It seems a natural way to end a blog post, right? What do you think? Have you ever bought something only to realize, even though you adored it, it just wasn’t right for you? What would turn this look from only ok to something much, much better? Are there certain looks you love that don’t love you back? Please leave me a comment or two. I promise to answer! I love having conversations in case you couldn’t tell! And, if you’d like, please subscribe to my blog! I really do appreciate each and every one of you!

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