Worn|| But Fashion

Where my America’s Top Model fans?! Tyra, Ms. Jay and Mr. Jay snatched our collective edges in the early 2000s. And thanks to Al Gore’s internet, those first groundbreaking seasons are GIFS that keep giving!

The kiss of death was for the panel to declare the hopefuls “too catalog” or, Ana Wintour forbid, too commercial! One of my favorite scenes was for a swimsuit shoot. Tyra explains to the young wannabe that she has crossed a line into bad taste. They are models not centerfolds, damnit! It can be “ho but F A S H I O N”. That friends was not only epic television, it serves as my own little style mantra when getting dressed.

So when I decided to wear this cute little thrifted shirtdress instead of wearing Chucks and the cardigan I planned to wear, I thought “suburban housewife BUT FASHION!” I’m not sure if having a tiny trio of sartorial saints whisper in my ear is indicative of larger issues at play, but I’m fairly pleased with the results!

Jacket|| Forever 21

Shirtdress||(Old Navy) Thrifted

Sneakers||(Aldo) Thrifted

Belt|| Target

Worn || Game On

As of late, I’ve been really unsure of my style. Questioning what I like or whether I have any style at all. My mid 40’s has been a trippy time, my friends.

A lot of that uncertainty is tied to how I feel about my looks and body. And if I’m being 100 (as the kids say), most of the time it’s difficult for me to quiet that inner voice that screams about the weight I’ve gained in the last five years that refuses to budge, upper arms that never go uncovered, hips and thighs that are too wide and too thick, the double chin that I can’t contour away and on and on and on.

While I’m working on loving who I am right now. In this moment, In this body. I’ve tasked myself ridding my closet of anything that doesn’t make feel good when I put it on. As our favorite, new chaos coordinator, Marie Kondo would say, “does it spark joy?”

This simple look of things I’ve had for years and a new thrifted t-shirt did indeed spark a little bit of joy.

Have started Kondo-ing your wardrobe? Are you finding any old favorites or forgotten gems?

{worn} Snow Leopard

Yesterday it was almost 60 degrees. Today it’s not quite 40. So I guess we’re going to do this long gray January thing! Sigh.

Lately, I’ve been craving all of the neutrals. And because I’m a maximalist at heart I pile them on with reckless abandon! There is nothing particularly extraordinary about this outfit. And, during the cold months jeans, a cute sweater and boots-and all of its variations-become my uniform. But, the thing I love most about this look in particular is that it’s the perfect example of mom style on a budget.

The boots are the only relatively expensive thing I’m wearing. They were $120 and are at least 5 years old. I’m fairly certain these were a pre Rowan purchase so that would put them at closer to 6! The chunky and relatively low heel make them manageable for wearing when I’m out with him. At this point the cost per wear is down to a few cents! The cardigan and the jeans were thrifted and totaled $10. I scored the blouse on the Tj Maxx clearance rack for about $6 and the scarf was left behind by one of my daughters when they moved out so it was F R E E!!

Mom-ing is hard! I’m certainly not going to tell any one of us how we should or shouldn’t dress on any given day. My kid is almost 5 and there are still days when managing a shower requires a plan as detailed as a scene in Mission:Impossible. We struggle with taking time for ourselves or spending money on ourselves. This year I’m really focusing on putting together a closet that not only makes me feel good when I can grab a few minutes for myself but is also priced so that when the inevitable peanut butter fingerprints end up on my top I’m not too freaked out about it!

Do you have a winter “uniform”? How has motherhood changed the way you approach getting dressed?

The Girl With The Glasses

Earlier in the year I went to have an eye exam. I was expecting to finally get the news that is another harbinger of middle age…bi-focals. Color me shocked that I was able to hold that one off!

Anyway, a few weeks ago I finally got my act together and ordered my new glasses. Since I discovered I could get stylish and affordable glasses online I cannot remember the last pair I purchased from a regular retailer. Zenni is bae! I’ve flirted with a few other websites but I always end up back where I started. I ordered 3 pair. A new pair of sunnies, a pair to wear around the house, and a new every day pair. Three pair of prescription glasses and shipping was a whopping $75! I couldn’t be happier.

Worn{feeling fall}

Fall has finally arrived and I am here for it! Yaaasssss! Give me pumpkin spice! Give me scarves! Give me boots!! We’ve had temps in the 80s until last week! But, you know….global warming is totes not a thing y’all! ::insert your favorite eye roll gif here!::

Anyway, I’m deeply in love with jewel tones right now. So this combination of red, mustard, orange and teal is perfection. These sneakers tho! I’ve been contemplating a pair of high top wedge kicks for a while. They were on trend a few years ago. For some reason I couldn’t currently get them off my mind. Comfortable and a little bit of edge! Why did I pass on them before?! I had a pair sitting in my Amazon cart. A few weeks ago I decided to pop in Goodwill because I had some time to kill before I needed to pick Rowan up from school. These were the first thing I saw when I walked in the door! And, they were $4. It was meant to be!

Has the weather cooled off in your neck of the woods? Are you ready for all the fall things?

Worn{fancy dress day}

Wearing a dress always looks more put together than it feels. Essentially when I don't want to deal with waistbands, ironing, or finding two things that look good together, I'll wear a dress! Sometimes it turns a regular day into fancy dress day and I feel like a proper adult!  I'm in the process of going thru my closet with a more critical eye because the amount of STUFF is overwhelming me at this point! But, that deserves it's own post. This dress is one of the things that will definitely be staying. I can't think of one item of clothing I've purchased lately that feels more like me than this dress! 

worn{carnaby street}

For whatever reason, these pants give me a very London 1960s vibe. Perhaps it's the groovy pattern or the union jack color palette. Whatever the reason, they are one of those things I've pulled out of the donate pile several times, unable to let them go. 

We've also reached the stage of summer where it is unbearably hot! I don't want to deal with the flat iron so the big hair is back! And I can't go out naked so I wear whatever I want!

For some reason, I've also been itching for a big change! I think it probably has a lot to do with my rapidly approaching birthday and the heat. It's a scientific fact that those two things have been known to make a girl do the unexpected! I guess you'll just have to stick around and see exactly what that means. 

Worn {of the same stripe}

It's finally here! The never-ending winter has bid us farewell and spring is FINALLY here! I hope. I'm taking full advantage of these longer and warmer days by diving into my closet and digging out all of my favorite dresses. This was one of the offerings from the Victoria Beckham|Target collab. I managed to wear it a grand total of one time last year. Womp. Womp. I love it so I'm not sure why it's been passed over so many times. I think sometimes I get caught up on how I think something should look instead of considering how it should be styled to fit into my everyday life

So today, it's back to the basics. Flat sandals are a requirement for chasing down lightning quick little ones. And, a glittery belt because on Wednesdays-and any other day- we wear glitter!

"whatcha doin' wit da camera mama? say cheese!" Cute little photobomber! 

Worn{as time goes by}

I remember in the early days of my blogging, there was this endless need to have it first. I suppose in many ways that hasn't really changed be it fashion bloggers, lifestyle bloggers or mommy bloggers. The endless pursuit of the "new" will always be there. As I took a step back and focused on other things, I realized that most of the things I treasured in my closet or found myself reaching for time and time again weren't necessarily my newest goodies, they were the timeless pieces that made me feel confident when I was dressed. 

And while my need to stuff my closet with fancy skirts and dresses has slowed because my lifestyle has changed in the last four years, I decided to indulge myself during a big sale this past January. This dress is so pretty and I can see grabbing it on those occasions where I want to feel a little bit sexy without having to worry too much about it. The coat is at least ten years old from the days when I shopped at the Banana Republic faithfully and because cute, closed toe, and comfortable heels are hard to come by, these shoes remain a favorite! 

Worn{winter florals}

How is it that February is the shortest month of the year but feels like it is literally 800 days long?! It must be the combination of post-holiday hangover, the cold, and another month of days when what little sun we have makes itself scarce at 5 o'clock! To be perfectly honest, February was a rough month emotionally. I think it was for lots of people. I'm still processing a lot of what happened both personally and globally. I suspect I will be for months to come. 

My word of the year is C O M M I T.  Committing to caring for myself is a huge part of that. It is so easy for me to fall into a cycle where I let anxiety control me, refuse to leave the house and spend days in my pajamas. I'm also trying to be more mindful of routines that give me comfort as well as consistency. In February, my goal was to get up and get dressed at least 4 days a week even if we didn't have plans. Going through the motions of getting myself dressed, doing my hair and a quick makeup routine made me feel better. Especially when I was struggling with so many other things.  In an effort to be transparent, I didn't always succeed. I tried not to beat myself up too much over falling short of my goal because every little bit kept me from letting my depression spiral into something bigger and less manageable.