Day Thirteen: Style

I have a very unique sense of style.

When I was younger, I actually refused to wear dresses. I don’t think I wore a dress of my own free will until I was a senior in college, and even then I only did it on mass days and days when I needed to dress up. Outside of some peculiar circumstances, I only wore dresses when I went to things like prom and homecoming. I remember my mother being very excited to take me dress shopping because I had never asked to go before my junior SnoBall.

These days I wear dresses and skirts almost as often as pants. I think a lot of my style has been influenced by the people around me and by the magazines I read and the tv I watch. But I think the biggest effect on my style was when I lived in Italy.

You see, before I lived in Italy, I thought that women who wore skirts or dresses and heels were doing so to be frivolous. I thought that this kind of clothing was nice if you had nothing to do or nowhere to go that required walking or significant movement. But when I was in Italy, I saw women who would ride their bikes through the crowded streets of Bologna wearing pencil skirts and stilettos. All I could think was how ridiculous this was, until I noticed that they were more than just pulling it off, they were positively rocking it. Here were women who weren’t afraid of their femininity and weren’t going to let anything hold them back. How fabulous, fierce and fearless was that? 

So over the past few years I’ve been updating and upgrading my style. I’m still a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl, but I’m not scared to wear heels or boots or ballet flats to class up an outfit. I certainly can’t ride a bike in heels, hell I can barely ride a bike as is (another story from Italy) but I feel like walking in heels is an accomplishment that half the global population can’t achieve (read: men.)

Style for me is more than just being able to wear what I want. It’s about feeling good about myself and my body with what I’m wearing. I like to surprise people with my fashion choices and I love to surprise my boyfriend with how nice I look when we go out. I’m certainly not into high end fashion; I don’t have the budget for a real Hollywood wardrobe, but I like to look nice. I also love to go shopping with my friends and pick out clothes for them, so if anyone needs a wardrobe change, call me.

Seriously, call me.

Challenge to my Readers:

Somewhere in the back of your closet is a shirt, skirt, dress, blouse or pair of shoes you always promised yourself you were going to wear but never got the chance to or didn’t feel like you would look good in it. Put it on. Even if you don’t leave your house, even if you’re going to the grocery store in a cocktail dress, be daring and own it.