Tiger

You know, I was really excited to wear this outfit and thought it was going to be so rad (TIGER PRINT!), but, as soon as I saw the pictures... ehhhhh. I think what's bothering me is that it's a much shorter dress than I would normally wear (I am scandalized by the appearance of my own knees!), and the white jacket just looks a lot boxier than it did in the mirror (oh, those filthy, lying mirrors!) Also, It looks like I'm flexing my big toes. I should probably paint those suckers, too.I was really hoping I'd be better at this by now. :(But, hey, I've managed four straight weeks of outfit posts! That's gotta be a new record for me![Wearing: Julie Brown dress, Eliza J jacket, Taryn Rose sandals, Hobo wristlet.]

Crazy Hair, Don't Care

I think I've mentioned before that I always put my hair up when I know I'm going to be outside for any length of time. The above is what happens when my hair thingie breaks on my way home.To be honest, it's not a half-bad look. Maybe a little frizzy, but I do love myself some big hair.P.S. A post with my hair down means one more week without cutting my hair. Woohoo![Wearing: Michael Kors dress, Taryn Rose sandals, Mimic Designs clutch.]

So I Guess I Own a Vest

If there's one thing I never thought I'd be, it's a person who owns a vest. Growing up in the Texas panhandle, vests had fairly specific and unironic use cases: working at a hardware store, going to the rodeo, being a mom at Xmas. So, naturally, as I'm not particularly inclined toward any of these activities, I find myself genuinely surprised to be now in possession of a vest. Who am I? What have I become? And, what exactly do I do with this vest?Today, I endeavored to answer all of these questions, but the first one turned out to be really hard and the second one kinda depended on answering the first. So, I settled on answering just this last question by attempting three separate outfits using my vest. "My vest." What a strange and alien phrase. I'm glad I'm only typing it. I doubt I could speak it aloud.Anywho, since I'm only a beginner at this whole wearing-of-vests thing, I elected to simplify the effort further by wearing the same boots with each outfit. And the same hair. And the same makeup. And no accessories. So... yeah, I kinda only switched out the dress each time. That still counts, right? C'mon, I'm learning.How'd I do?First Attempt: Eliza J DressFor my first attempt, I picked a really simple boatneck dress I got sometime last year, but never got around to wearing. (In fact, this is the first time I've worn any of the dresses in this post.) While I think the color combination came out alright, I just felt really... covered up. Now, there's certainly nothing wrong with dressing "modestly," but I fear that I have taken to "covering up" as a response to my discomfort with my body. That's something I'd like to remedy.

---

Second Attempt: Fuzzi Dress (Purple)For my second attempt, I picked a slightly more revealing v-neck Fuzzi dress with sheer sleeves. I admit that this is hardly revealing by the average person's standards. But, if you know me at all, you may have noticed that I never expose my upper arms. This is thanks to some unpleasant scars that folks always feel the need to comment on. When I chose this dress, I had hoped that the sleeves would obscure the scars enough to go unnoticed. Not so much. So, full disclosure: I photoshopped out my scars. Still, I felt like the overall outfit came out fairly well and was definitely a step outside my comfort zone. (Did I mention the arms thing?)

---

Third Attempt: Fuzzi Dress (Blue)For my final attempt, I figured "fuck it," and went not only for the sheer sleeves, but also the very deep v-neck of the most form-fitting dress I own. I thought I might be able to pull it off as the vest would offset and/or disguise my most troublesome area (see: big ole belly). You know what? I think it kinda worked. I might even feel comfortable enough to wear this outfit outside the house. Vest magic!Perhaps I've misjudged vests and the ownership thereof. Perhaps I'm wrong about a lot of things. Perhaps I should reevaluate other of my long-held beliefs and prejudices.Or not. It's just a vest.[In all outfits: Bagatelle leather vest and Stuart Weitzman boots.]

Letting My Hair Down

I have a habit of always putting my hair up in some sort of claw or clampy thing. I adopted it when I was taking public transit and/or walking to work all the time and just didn't want my hair blowing in my face all willy-nilly. But, it's gotten to the point where my hair is almost always up and that just needs to stop. Why even bother having such long hair if I'm just going to pile it on top of my head for none to see?I'm going to make an effort to wear my hair down at least once a week. If I can't do that, then I should probably just cut it short. Deal?Anywho, wearing yet another Leota dress and another pair of Stuart Weitzman boots (this time with a wedge heel). Kinda felt like the print of the dress was too busy to add accessories, but perhaps a solid white scarf would have been a nice addition. Next time...

Big Plaid Scarf

This scarf is ginromous. It is pretty much a blanket. It has its own zip code. Lesser scarves are trapped in its gravitational pull, only to be crushed, devoured, and absorbed into its own supermassive core. You do not wear this scarf, it wears you. It is also plaid.In a bit of a hurry this morning. Wearing another Leota dress (I love Leota dresses... so comfy), Calvin Klein jacket, Stuart Weitzman boots (again), and a big plaid scarf from the oldest corners of the universe.

Back in the Saddle

A few years ago, I vowed to start taking outfit pics of myself every week for a year in an effort to 1) become more comfortable in front of a camera, 2) come to terms with my size/weight and 3) put more effort into getting dressed. That first attempt lasted about a month. But, hey, what a month! Let's hear it for unrealistic expectations!In the spirit of the new year and all that that entails, I'm revisiting the outfit pics project with newfound vigor and determination. At the very least, I intend it to last longer than a month. Let's hear it for realistic goals!Anywho, today I am wearing a Leota Amelia dress in Day at the Races (purchased on super sale via Rue La La), a Daniel Rainn jacket (via Hautelook), and some Stuart Weitzman 5050s (via SaksOff5th). There's some jewelry and even a handbag in there, but you can't really make them out. :/Happy new year, etc.