I Challenge You.

And you're all like "whaaa??"

"I don't take orders from Orc maggots." 

(reference? 

     anyone?..

         anyone??

              anyone?)

Srsly, though. This post is a challenge. A challenge to do what I do. 

Well, recently anyways. 

And not because I think that there's anything particularly mature or deep or moralistically important about this little experiment - 

but because it's really really really fricken fun. 

Here's the plan: 

Start purchasing the items that you once thought you could "Never pull off", 

and pull . them . off. 

When it comes to my least favorite phrases, that little diddy ranks up there in the top 5 (right up there with: "I'm returning it b/c my husband hates it" and "Lord of the Rings? Oh. I never understood those movies.)

I don't care if you think it's because of your age or your weight or your publicly-perceived persona. Pick up that damn [insert strange uncharacteristically weird piece of clothing here] that you've been ogling for weeks and WEAR IT. It's not a physical matter, it's a physiological, visceral, maybe even a psychological, one. If you were meant to love that piece, you were meant to wear that piece. No questions. 

skirt: dolan (similar), shirt: anthropologie, boots: etienne aigner

My dad has this theory that all clothing is alive. That it chooses you. 

I don't know what I believe, but I sure as hell don't think that you should deny your instinct because you're 30 vs. 29 or 230lb vs. 129lb. 

The joy of getting dressed is the different parts of yourself that you feel come alive with each new piece you put on. Your blazer pulls from that more sophisticated subset, your casual tee from your (aspirationally) athletic self, and your stiletto shoes fulfill that sexy segment that you don't really have inside but wish you did. 

You can always balance one item of clothing out with another. So buy what you love, and MAKE IT WORK. 

Challenge initiated. 

Now go. 

Cheers.

Photos by Matt Engelhart