The 5 and 5 Challenge: Finals, A Mid-20s Crisis, and My Closet

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The end of term is rapidly approaching, my graduation is impending, and the snow has arrived, signalling the emergence of a mid-20s crisis. Of course, my natural reaction is to contemplate existential questions, like who am I? What am I doing here? What will I do next? How will I face the winter? As I think about the answers to these questions, I remind myself how I came to figure out who I was in the first place (before I entered college): Fashion. To the average mind, this realization may appear superficial, unfounded, and banal. How can fashion resolve our existential crisis? The truth is that it can't. It can facilitate the road to self-discovery. It can help us find out a little more about our deeply ingrained characteristics. But can it get us through the brutal stages of emerging adulthood? Probably not.

However, there is one aspect of fashion allows us to reinvent ourselves as we embark upon a new life stage. It is no coincidence that when we finish high school, we're inclined to cut our hair shorter and adopt a more mature look to suit the persona we hope to embody as we exit adolescence. We want to change a physical aspect of our appearance to match our internal state of change and renewal. Once again, we're faced with this powerful desire to reinvent ourselves. What better way than to clean out our closets? Now, I'm not telling you to stop your studying and start your cleansing just yet. But when you are ready, I invite you to join me on in a cleansing challenge.

Part of what my blog stands for is staying real, avoiding trends, and dressing in a way that feels like you. In a previous blog post, I spoke about shopping mistakes and now is the time to eliminate them from your closet. Here is the challenge:

Look into your closet and select the 5 items that your love most. Think long and hard about what makes them special to you. What do you love most about these pieces? Do you wear them more than any other? Are they associated with a special memory? Do they make you feel more attractive? Were they a splurge? Now, once you've selected your pieces, think of 5 ways these items make you feel like your best and more genuine self.

Though this may sound like a very simple challenge, it may actually help you learn a little bit more about the current you in the process. Over the course of this week, with my birthday approaching, I've decided to list one item per day that makes me feel real and the five reasons I chose it.

FIRST ITEM: My Rachel Zoe black 'Elliot' booties

Reasons I love them:
1) The block heel ensures comfort and style (I can spend hours in these beauties and barely feel any pain)
2) They make me feel tall and glamorous (like Rachel Zoe, essentially)
3) They make every outfit look instantly better (jeans, dresses, overalls, you name it)
4) They're multi-seasonal.
5) They're the perfect mix between feminine and edgy that defines every fibre of my being.

If you'd like, please join me and stay tuned every day for a new item. You don't have to publicize it, but try it as an activity and you might feel a little better about the unwritten future ahead of you.

Happy Monday!

XOXO,

Bella

Summer Shopping (Is A) Challenge

No, this is not a contest. Though the title may suggest the hint of a contest, it simply aims to point out the various challenges that present themselves when shopping for summer clothing. Summer is a magical time of year where everyone needs a new wardrobe or a reason to leave the house. It's no longer an excuse to get out of class or kill time between bites of your peanut butter sandwich. It's a requirement or as some like to put it, your reward for a year's work. Whether a fashion girl or someone who's realized that their wardrobe is composed entirely of winters hoodies, everyone races over to the shops to find something lighter to wear for the upcoming warmer months.

Shopping spree?
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Now, here's the rub. Everything is transparent, cropped, or excessively short. And if you don't like sheer blouses in short sleeves, long sleeves, sleeveless, crew neck, v-neck, boat neck, you'll probably have to walk home empty handed. You may walk up to the sale's lady only to receive an apologetic look that says: "Sorry, that's all we sell here. But it comes in every single colour". If you're a little more conservative or your style isn't Coachella every day all day, this shopping experience is rather unpleasant. There goes your reward. Maybe you can settle for a lipstick.

So, what do you do? How do you resolve the summer shopping challenge?

Well, I can't redesign all the clothing stores. However, you can pop in more frequently. If you have a moment, step into a store every other week. Check out the merchandise. Keep track of new arrivals. Get thee to a wifi zone stat and peruse the websites of your favourite stores. Or just do what all the cool kids are doing nowadays and shop online. There's always time to check your iphone during your lunch hour, right?

The stores may seem to have all had the exact same ideas this season, but you never know when one might get innovative and present a drop-dead-gorgeous-can't-live-without-it-hit-a-home-run kind of item. It really can be love at first site in that cheesy-cliché-romcom-hollywood-blockbuster-touching-hands-in-popcorn kind of way. And don't we all dream of that moment we find a cheap item that looks expensive? Isn't that how we make all our life decisions?

Think about it,

Bella

In Case You've Forgotten What I'm Blogging About, Here Is A Reminder

Last weekend, I was baffled and bemused at the fact that every other person in my proximity was staring at my faux-leather baseball cap shouting out jeers such as "nice hat" or "what are you wearing" or even "your hat sucks". I attended a party with my favourite weapon and conversation starter, my cap, only to be addressed with head taps by complete strangers and awkward comments.

via celebrityfashionista.com

Mission accomplished. I think.

Mere moments after my arrival, I noticed a guy in the room wearing his very own baseball cap. Lo and behold, he received no comments whatsoever. Upon this discovery, I couldn't help but wonder why my hat was creating a mild uproar, while his had no effect on anyone in the room. When did it become the rule that men can wear caps and women cannot? Do I need to have a favourite sports team to wear a baseball cap? Clearly, I never got that memo.

Despite the puzzling effects produced by this hat, I realized that I was actually enjoying the attention. Guilty as charged. There's something about that understanding head nod following the words "I'm really into fashion" that is immensely satisfying for a late bloomer like myself. I may not have been born in a Louboutin, but I do know a thing or two about making a statement and breaking a couple of conventional style rules every now and then.

via www.funmiogunja.com

Now, here's my challenge for you. Get ready for this one, readers.

I challenge you to wear something bold in a public setting. How do you know if it's bold enough? Here is a hint: If you think
people might stare at you like you're E.T and you've landed on this planet looking for home, then it's a go. Whether a printed pair of harem pants, a purple lip, a pair of creepers, or faux glasses, choose something that you secretly love, but refrain from wearing due to a fear of judgment. And if you happen to be too scared to take up this challenge, remember this: fashion is meant to be fun. Don't take it too seriously. After all, it's about self-expression, not the latest trend that we'll all be bored of within minutes of the next fashion week.

Challenge accepted? I hope so!

Bella




9 Days Until NYFW (and the excitement is currently mounting)