Your Unique Sense of Style

On my Delurker Day post last week, people wanted me to write more about my fashion and clothes.  My sense of fashion has always been quite interesting.  My earliest memories of clothing, are from 1st or 2nd grade, running around in those lovely short Dove shorts.  And then in 5th or 6th grade, when we all had Guess Jeans and Reebok high-tops.

I wear a uniform for work, four days a week, so my daily clothing options are somewhat limited these days. So when I’m dressed up, you might find me wearing a cute dress or stylish shirt.  I have quite an obsession with vintage inspired dresses from Anthropologie, and headbands, of course.  I try and work around my body type at all times.  I’m a thicker girl and not everything looks right on me.  Although I love boots and leggings on some people, it is not a good look for me.

Taken by @ScaryMommy at BlogHer10′

But seriously, on most days, you will find me in jeans (Lucky Brand Sweet and Straight are preferred right now), a t-shirt, and flip flops.  I might throw a cardigan over that t-shirt if I get cold.  I had Angry Kid take a picture of me last week.  I was wearing a Sanrio shirt and my jeans.  We were on our way to a birthday party.  I’m glad I got my hair colored and cut today, because wow, it is scary! I was wearing my black Chucks (aka Converse) on my feet, if you really want to know.

I started going through some of my old pictures to see how my style has evolved. I discovered that I had a thing for overalls and shortalls through the mid-90’s.  What the heck was I thinking?  I wish someone would have told me that full-body denim does NOT look good on somebody with thick short stumpy legs.

Before my senior year in high school, I had the bright idea of dying my hair light blond, light sooo very light, it is almost white blond.  It was probably a good thing I was on my parent’s payroll, because it must have cost a ton of money to maintain that hair color.  I only did it for a few months, and well, it turned green when I had it darkened.  It was a complete hair fail. I think this photo below was taken either the first day or first week of my senior year. My friend, Melissa, was standing next to me.

When I entered college, I joined a sorority the first semester.  I was soo excited because it was a fresh start.  I made some new friends and developed more of “preppy style”, as it was heading towards the mid-1990’s.  I was a complete OCD freak about my clothing matching. Who am I kidding? I am still a freak about my clothes completely matching.  I even found the perfect pink patent shoes to match this outfit.

Between high school and college, I started finding my “basics” in life for my wardrobe.  I love finding the perfect pair of jeans, and solid colored t-shirts in different colors.  I usually have at least five white shirts, and even more black shirts.  I think I counted four long sleeve and five short sleeve black shirts in my closet the other day.

I went through a big “country western” phase in the late 1990’s.  I went line dancing every weekend, and had all the gear.  I had lost some weight and was wearing green Wranglers in this pictures. And of course, I had on a basic white t-shirt. I may still own a belt buckle with my name engraved on it.

And the end of the 1990’s, I was planning my wedding, well 1998 to be exact.  I had no clue about what kind of dress to buy.  I was also lazy and did not want to go to multiple stores to find “the dress”.  It was like the sun was shining and birds were chirping when I walked into the dress store that day.  Because, Julie, found the PERFECT wedding dress for her style.  Yes, I like to talk about myself in the 3rd person.  Really if you know me, you will understand, why I couldn’t pass up the dress with the maribou feathers around the neck.  I also found shoes to match later.

I am writing this post mainly because I’m going to the Blissdom Conference next week.  I am the Newbie Tribe leader and I want people to be able to be comfortable with their own sense of style.  I figure as an adult that most people have found their own sense of style.  You do not need to buy a new wardrobe to go to a blog conference.  I’ve seen a ton of people freaking out about their clothes.

I will be packing two outfits per day; jeans with cute shirts, cardigans, a few skirts, some basics shirts, and two dresses.  Yes, my dresses are from Anthropologie.  But I can never pass up the fabulousness that is Anthro, which has become my style.

P.S. I usually wear some kind of shapewear under my t-shirts.  I prefer the strappy or original tanks from Yummie Tummie.  I wear these tanks to smooth out my lines, or umm rolls. There is nothing worse than seeing my back fat hang out under my bra line.  Not pretty at all!