Fashion Smashion

On my current quest to be a fabulous, fit, stylish wife, I am trying to be more fashionable. Hmm. Now all 3 of you who read this will start scrutinizing my clothes.... :)

However, I lack the resources (i.e., cash) to make said goal fully attainable, so I'm trying to use what I have, and fill in the rest from T.J. Maxx, Stein Mart, Marshall's, and similar stores where I can get a dress, top, and cute belt for $40 total. (For serious!) This got me thinking.

In high school, I was completely jeans-and-t-shirt all day all the time. Okay, okay, a hooded sweatshirt or sweater would make it into the rotation if it was chilly, but I even hated jackets and coats (except for the completely too big suede jacket I begged for in 8th grade and wore daily--lucky for you, I can't find a picture of it). I definitely did not win Best Dressed, if you get my drift. Actually, I think the only time I wore a dress was at graduation. Somehow, I was still mid-range on the popularity scale, which continues to be a mystery to me.

However, despite being a complete fashion moron, I had to have the NAMES. The LABELS. The BRANDS. If I'm gonna wear a t-shirt, it better have somebody's name on it!

After college, where my desperate lack of style, (and broke-ness) continued, this thinking completely reversed. I noticed the trend shifting one day when I was comparing flats with my friends, and we chatted about who got the cutest shoes for the cheapest price. Your outfit was actually cooler if you got a bargain on it! Bought your dress for $3 at a thrift store and made it look amazing? 1,000 cool points!

This was an awesome revelation for my mindset, and especially for my poor, sad credit card. I also discovered the emotional junk behind the spending. When I gained weight, I bought clothes. Felt sad? bought clothes. Or actually, underwear, socks, and shoes, because none of these really required the dreaded try-on in the dressing room. And so it continued, until I began losing weight during and after college, and realized that nothing I bought would cover up how miserable I felt about myself at times.

So, maybe it's not really a "Fashion To-Do List," but a "Continue to Be Confident in who I am List," where I only buy clothes that make me feel good about myself. I used to think a girl had to be thin and tall to pull off cute clothes, so why should I even bother? But, now that I'm rounding towards my 30's, I actually feel BETTER about myself, despite being short and curved. It's been a total growing up process.

But, then again.......I could probably just give full credit to my husband, who thinks my ass looks hot in everything! Having someone tell you you're gorgeous every day sure doesn't hurt. :)

Love,
Steph