Sometimes it’s the simple outfits that give us joy, those that we use on completely normal days for normal tasks, on brick in the wall of our sartorial identity. I’d like to think that I’ll look back on this time in my life and see how I cut and pasted my internal life onto my body in the form of clothes – what a beautiful, simple, and such a human thing, to celebrate time in terms of fabric and shape.
For this look, I confess that I hardly wore it out of the car with the exception to take these photos. My friend Ashley and I have a monthly dinner date, and lately, as cash-strapped as we are, we’ve been hitting the drive-through at the Alameda In n’ Out and eating in the car, parked with the radio dialed to Nicki Minaj. If you’re interested, my order is a #1 protein style, no onions, and a Diet Coke; hers is two cheeseburgers, protein style, and a water. You only live once.
With clothes – especially those worn in your free, non-office time – the art and joy of it all has little to do with who sees them. It’s about the look you’ve created in your mind, the way the fabric feels on your frame, where you like hems brush you or seams to hug you. On your drive home, or as you chat with friends, or as you go about your work, your brain is primed with the perspective you’ve created for that day, be it one of grey cotton, black wool, or teal silk. You’re telling yourself a story about who you are that day. I hope it’s artful, respectful to what you’re up to in your life. For me, that’s what it’s all about.
So here you have it – the simple, and not-so-simple OOTD to grab a burger with a friend: a faux-leather mini skirt and sweatshirt that I can only describe as “preppy light” (tempted to spell “light” as “lite,” but a true prepster would never use a nonstandard spelling, right?), as the silky logo adds just a touch too much of flamboyance to be full-on prep, and black square-toed boots.
The boots are a new addition to my wardrobe, another consignment find from The Real Real. I call them my Storm Trooper Boots, as they have a tab that rides up towards the knee and somehow reminds me of Darth Vader. So I suppose they should be called my “Darth Vader Boots,” but the name has been burned into my memory banks and it’s too late to turn back now.
I loved the overall effect of the mini skirt and sweatshirt combo – laid back, soft, and still a bit edgy. I never like outfits that are too demure on me, and this one struck the right balance.
I hope you’re headed into a great weekend! I’m at a conference in Tampa and will be enjoying the warm weather.
Love,
Stig
