i have learned so much about my style—what i like to wear and what looks good—from photographing and reviewing my outfits (almost) every day. i agree with katy that even if you don’t have a blog it could help you a lot if you feel lost in your style.
before i started snappy casual, my shopping goals were to purchase standout pieces that i loved, thinking that was the best way to set myself apart from those around me and have unique outfits with my small budget.
the problem, which i learned during my first remix, was that i didn’t have a lot of pieces that were easy to layer or create new outfits with. i didn’t have a lot of basics or “everyday” shirts, if you will. i had been constantly buying new stuff to make a statement, and many of those pieces are meant to be worn alone as the focus of an outfit.
i felt kind of lost. i had always thought i was pretty stylish, but man, …i sure had a lot to learn!
» i’ve learned that a special outfit can be more than a unique sweater with jeans and flats. it could be a basic shirt and cardigan and belt and scarf OR a shirt and a blazer and a necklace and leggings and boots—multiple items and accessories—that makes it a pulled together look.
jessica quirk, in her book, what i wore, says, “at least 80 percent of your closet should work for mixing and matching.” i bet 80 percent of my clothes were statement pieces and 20 were basics. yikes!
the first “everyday” basic piece i bought is this shirt from old navy. i bought it right before my first 30 for 30 remix (after seeing it on kendi) and i remember being in the dressing room and telling eric that this is not a shirt i would normally wear but i have a fashion blog now and i need new clothes and this is only $10 and i do like it.
there are many things wrong with that statement, but today i am focusing on the fact that before i started my blog, i had a desire to only buy things that no one else around me did.
» now, i’m more focused on styling the pieces i have (even though many people may have the same things in their closet) to create outfits that make me feel good and that few others would create. i love thinking about the fact that many outfits (not just mine, but yours, too) are one of a kind…that most likely no one else will ever wear those same five pieces in the exact same way.
and looking back, that shirt from old navy has gotten A LOT of wear on the blog and has been included in two of my 30 for 30 remixes. and while i wore it with only jeans the first time it appeared on the blog, i soon learned how to layer it up, tucking it into a skirt or adding a blazer or leather jacket.
here’s to another year of learning!
