On Lisa's recent year end review, Angie said: "Sometimes, our idea of style and wardrobe perfection isn’t suited to who we are - which makes it an unnatural fit and hard to achieve."
Truer words were never spoken! In fact, sometimes I think the only fashion lesson any of us really needs to learn -- and, alas, the hardest -- is to accept ourselves!
Oh, how we fight that!! In all areas of life. We want to be what we aren't. Or we want our conditions to be what they aren't. Or we want both -- a different self and different conditions. (Here we pause so the author can slink off in blushing embarrassment. Guilty as charged!!) ;)
This thought arose in connection with Lisa's comments about a certain pair of navy velvet metallic booties, one of her best purchases of 2017. The minute she wrote about them, I wanted those booties!!
And, on the face of it, they seem like a reasonable purchase. After all, there's a big wardrobe hole in my closet for a navy bootie. I wore my last navy booties to the ground! Had them re-heeled, and wore them to the ground again. Only passed them along because the insides were starting to fail me. (Editorial note: Those Zara booties put the lie to the idea that Fast Fashion has to be cheap, poorly made or, indeed, "fast." They were one of the hardest wearing pieces in my closet for 4 years.)
Yet, these booties look more delicate and fragile than the ones they would replace. And after my rash of "fun" and delicate bootie-buying last year (red suede, and silver, and white) -- I'm feeling a bit sheepish. Because despite their comfort, and the fact that they complete my outfits visually like nobody's business, I haven't worn any of those pretty but fragile booties more than a dozen times—apart from YLF selfies! So I am not sure how I could justify this purchase of a similar pair.
:(
The reality is, I'm a person who spends long hours indoors in winter. I don't wear outdoor footwear when I am indoors at home; there, warm, comfortable, and supportive slippers rule. When I go out, I go tromping around in the snow. This is not a garage-to-car-to-mall or shop life that I lead; it is a 10,000 steps a day in all weather conditions walking lifestyle. When I do go out, I tend to go to places where there is no option to remove outdoor footwear and put on indoor footwear, i.e. restaurants, classrooms (where I do not have an office or even a coat rack), meetings in small inadequate spaces rented by nonprofits, etc. So when, exactly, can I wear my booties? I wore the red ones to a party recently, where I was the only person so shod (everyone else was in socks and slippers), and nobody saw them because I was seated at a table most of the time.
I have to admit, the more I listen to who I really am and where and how I really live, the fewer my wardrobe "fails." The ulta-expensive La Canadienne boots that might seem like a crazy indulgence to some are already up past 60 wears in 2.5 months. Even so, it will take some time to bring their CPW down to the cost of my frivolous fun booties (which were, after all, purchased on sale and did not take a huge chunk out of my budget.) But it's clear where my priorities should lie.
Still, it's never easy. I really, really want to wear those pretty shoes! (Jeepers, you'd think I could just turn myself into a "bag lady" instead, right? But no...footwear is always where I want to splurge!)
How about you? Do you struggle to accept some aspect of your lifestyle and how does it affect your style? Do you have advice?
P.S. My boxing day splurge? A new parka. After 7 years, I am bored beyond words with my grey puffer, which I wear day in, day out for months on end. At least it's justified by my conditions. ;)
