The other Saturday – the one after my all black excursion – I met my friend Ana down in San Jose so we could eat our weight in Portuguese pastries at Pastelaria Adega. Both of us being of luso blood – her 100%, me what feels like 75% but is actually 25% – we have a high tolerance for egg-yolk-crammed custards when paired with syrupy-rich espresso.
Corset top: I got mine from Australian brand Oh Polly and am very impressed with the quality – BUT it’s sold out. Oh Polly has similar options here, and I’d also suggest House of CB, Farfetch, and Revolve
Naturally, I was looking forward to our friend date and wanted my outfit to feel joyful, laid-back, and of course, me. Feeling like someone else just won’t do – pastries and conversation is a full-body experience and one needs to be in the f-ing zone. So I dusted off one of my favorites “tops” of all time (in reality, a bodysuit), grabbed my boyfriend jeans and nude heels, and made myself a corset outfit.
I must say, for someone as – if I may suggest – rigorously feminist as myself, it may seem odd to enjoy a garment so hewn into our consciousness as a sort of mobile torture chamber. After all, how could you grant women the right to vote if they couldn’t even walk up the stairs without a fainting couch at the top (a joke, don’t write me or I’ll send you a bag of smelling salts and tell you to get over it)?
For me – and yes, if you feel the need to read through the lines here, do so joyously – it is the choice that makes the difference. I choose to wear a satin corset outfit (“corset” is a loose term, as this piece has a zipper, so, you know – not the real deal) because I want to. Not because Lord Puffstache von Doucherweiner insists that his Angel of the House have a 16-inch waist.
In the same vein, I can choose to wear old sweats and a stained t-shirt, which I often do, and yes, I do leave the house that way at times. Hit me up if you want outfit pics of me in my dirty Hanes v-neck – I’ll do it if you ask. It’ll be grungy, sloppy, and peanut-butter-stained, but Lord I will do it.
Just because I can – and sometimes, tiny acts of self-actualization weave themselves into the story you tell yourself about who you are. There’s not a more powerful story in the world than that. Especially when you’re fortified with pasteis de nata and good conversation.
love,
Stig
PS. Bonus pics of me with my friend Caroline in actual corsets from Dark Garden – in case you thought I couldn’t hack the real thing. Also, because I can.
Thanks to Eric over at Dizzy Pixel for the photos!
