Too Much of Myself

All of that bravado about resolutions and new spark, and what do I do?  I get distracted by life and forget to blog.

You will have to forgive me.

Some of that time was spent with a brief bout of a flu-like illness.  It was blissfully brief, but horrible for its short duration.  So we won’t talk about that.

Some of that time was spent on a much more exciting project.

Vibrant Versatility

If you are acquainted with me in real life, you have probably heard me gush about ModCloth, home to so many wonderful, vintage-inspired clothes.  I especially love the dresses, and I spend a lot of daydream time imagining how I’d wear them.

I am a style junkie, although you wouldn’t necessarily know it to look at me recently.  I love putting together outfits that are unique but flattering.  I love colors, individually and together.  I really love texture.  And yes, I admit it, I like it when I go out somewhere and people look at me.

Most of all, when I put effort into my appearance, I feel better.  I feel calmer and I feel happier.  I roll with the punches more easily.

In some ways, then, it was like a new year’s resolution that I entered ModCloth’s year of dresses contest.  I recognize that my chances of winning are virtually nil, even though there are three winners, only one of whom is selected by popular vote.  I recognize that I entered the contest too late to really even attract the same kind of attention as some of the earlier entries.

But I can’t quite squash my hope.  I am proud of that photograph above, weird though it was to put together.  It was a very narcissistic experience.  I almost started to get sick of looking at myself…almost.  There is something about getting into the nitty-gritty of detailed photo alteration that consumes me.  I think I did a really good job of designing the different looks, and a passably good job of cobbling the thing together.

Like all situations, though, it is the writing that really ties it together for me.  ModCloth asked three questions of each entrant.

1. In 200 words or less, what’s your Year of Dresses mission statement? Why do you want to spend 12 months sharing your style with our community?
   
2. If you had to pick one, what’s your favorite ModCloth item ever?
3. What’s the best fashion or style advice you ever received?

Here is my answer, in the paragraphs I wrote it in (instead of the giant, impenetrable block of text it went up as).  If you like it even a little, please, please, PLEASE, inflate my hopes a little longer and vote for me.

My mission for a Year of Dresses can be summed up with “Vibrant Versatility.” Like so many young women, I am living an unsettled life. I anticipate many changes for 2013, possibly including relocation to another time zone, career shifts, more education, deepening relationships and bright, new perspectives. I could be afraid of the uncertainty, but I choose to embrace the opportunities. After all, I know that my style can fit all kinds of occasions, formal or professional, casual or glam, indoor, outdoor and all weather. Wherever life takes me, I can find a dress that fits and I will use that dress to brighten up my day — and yours.

My favorite ModCloth item ever is the deliciously purple “Grape Kelly Dress” I’m wearing in the lower left corner of my picture. I can dress it up for a night out or dress it down for a day at work. The filigree design on the bodice compliments some of my favorite Celtic knotwork jewelry. I threw a warm gray sweater over the dress for Christmas this year and it worked perfectly with the pewter knotwork barrette from my boyfriend (and the earrings I bought as a gift to myself!).

The best style advice I ever received was to invest in quality for the foundations of my outfit. Quality undergarments and tailoring make all the difference in how a dress fits. High caliber makeup and jewelry that doesn’t irritate my skin makes the whole look more polished. The more faith I have in the foundations of my look, the more confident I can be in how I pull it off.