Simplistic Guilt

Writing this here blog has taught me several things. 

First, there's the realization that human kind is absolutely incapable of not swiveling its head when it sees someone being photographed. 

And then there's the discovery that a good pair of heels can save any outfit.

Or the crucial notion that bright sunlight does NOT always equal beautiful photography.

But the ultimate lesson (aside from the efficacy of starting sentences with prepositions) comes from what I've grown to "know" about my style. 

See, I'm truly beginning to internalize that less is very often (though not always) more. 

For a costume junkie with a predisposition towards obsession, this realization did not come easily. It took many overdone outfits, cluttered photographs, and uncomfortable outfit changes to come to this conclusion. 

But I have. 
I think.

The difficult part is this nagging feeling inside of me that if I'm not eclectic enough - if I dont have enough layers or clashing patterns or original pairings, I've somehow given into banality - into mediocrity.  

What I should be listening to is that raw emotion that courses through my body when I see, touch, and try on something that is so completely me. 

What I often end up listening to, though, is often quite different. 

I think I've always felt that since I'm not classically pretty, I can't wear classically pretty things. Delicate jewelry, little black dresses, and - believe it or not - high heels, were just too . . . feminine for my personality. They conveyed womanhood and beauty and sex appeal - things I'd never instinctively associate with myself. 

It's like the class clown who hides his/her insecurities beneath humor. 
But I hide mine beneath clothes. 

Yet as I get a bit older (23 is the new 100) and grow more at peace with myself, I find myself gravitating towards more simplistic looks.

jumpsuit: Jbrand ready to wear, shoes: Forever 21 (dream pair)

I wonder if this is why so many fashion editors dress so simply?  Not to avoid attention, but because they no longer need to change personas on a daily basis in order to remain sane. 

In some senses, simplicity allows for our personalities to shine through. We make the clothes, not the other way around.

Obviously this doesn't mean that I'll stop dressing like an idiot. 

Definitely not. 

But it does mean that I'll stop beating myself up for my personal taste - as it's only a chronicle of my (de)maturation process. 
It's only natural. 

And if one day all I want to wear is a burlap sack, well then - I figure that I'll have grown to know myself pretty damn well. 

styling by Char Pedersen

photography by Audre Rae Photography

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