Dressing For Yourself

On another note, the last time I wore this striped blazer I asked for ideas for how else to style it and most of you guys suggested pattern mixing.  You might have noticed that I don’t do a lot of that.  It’s not that I hate it or that I’m scared of it.  Once in a while I’ll subtly mix prints here and there, but for the most part I just don’t think it’s for me as I genuinely don’t enjoy it or feel awesome in it.  However, sometimes I feel tempted to wear an outfit with boldly mixed patterns regardless of the fact that it doesn’t feel like me just because it seems “in” and because I’ll probably get a lot of props for it.  But I think it’s really important to dress in ways that make you happy and make you feel like you, not for the sake of being hip.  If I’m dressing more for others than for myself then I feel like I’m doing it for the wrong reasons.  Know what I mean?

Just to be clear, I’m not saying all this to hate on pattern mixing.  I just bring it up as a confession and an example of how it can be tempting to follow trends simply because they’re “in” though we might not even really identify with them.  It’s one thing to try new things and do something out of your comfort zone to grow yourself–that is still for yourself, for the sake of your own growth.  And yes, please do that because it can be fun!  I think it’s another thing to do something because you want to do what’s “in.”  If you’ve given something a shot and really don’t feel like it’s your thing then be free to be YOU! Try new things, stick with what you enjoy and what feels like YOU, and anything else that’s a “thing” that you don’t identify with, leave it be and don’t feel bad about it.  Enjoy being you, not what magazines tell you to be!

Okay, I think I’m done with my random soapbox.  Do any of you fall victim to dressing in ways that don’t feel like you, or is it just me?