I’ve had this outfit idea in my head for weeks and finally decided to throw it on yesterday to see if it would live up to the vision. I wasn’t sure at first—the blouse is more of a cream color whereas the pattern in the skirt is closer to a true white. But once I added the tall black boots and maroon accents, I was convinced. A very preppy and girly fall ‘fit!

The blouse is a hand-me-down from my aunt, which I received earlier this year. The sleeves are poofier than what I would normally reach for, but I’ve been enjoying finding ways to style it (I think short-sleeve sweaters are so versatile). The skirt is part of a vintage set, another hand-me-down from my mom’s cousin. I’ve worn the top on the blog before but haven’t photographed the set together yet.

I’m trying to get back into posting, after a week-long break from social media, but the truth is that I have been feeling so unmotivated to share content the past few weeks. After watching the show “All Her Fault” over the summer, I loved Dakota Fanning’s outfits so much that I started to reflect on my own closet and what kind of style I wanted (I would describe her outfits as very minimalist, chic, classic). Every episode I thought to myself, “I would look so good in that. I could rock that outfit.” It really inspired me to think differently about my closet and consider if I should replace some of my older things with timeless, more age appropriate pieces. It was really fun to think about. Then I did my “Closet Clean-Out by Color” series and was surprised by how many people commented that my clothes are extremely outdated, and that I should get rid of a lot more of them. This led to a lot of reflections that were… less fun to think about.

Of course, I know I’m not a trendy person—I’ve never tried or really had any desire to be trendy. However, I didn’t think my whole closet looked so outdated, either. To some extent, I’m going to keep wearing what I like to wear, even if it’s years old. But I also really don’t like the idea of looking like a walking time capsule from 2016. I feel embarrassed to have a fashion blog but wear outfits that are perceived to be out of style.

It’s especially unsettling because I feel like I’m giving cost per wear a bad rap… I do believe you can care about cost per wear and still be fashionable, if you stick to more classic styles. But instead I have been showing people that to care about cost per wear means to wear outdated clothes—which doesn’t have to be true. How long have people seen my posts and thought, “Sure, the cost per wear is low, but I can tell she’s had that top since 2018”?

All this to say, I walk into my closet now and feel like I hate everything. I’m so unmotivated to get dressed and feel embarrassed that I am completely blind to what looks outdated. Whenever I put on what I think is a cute outfit, I immediately start second-guessing myself and question if it looks out of style. I’m still in the wallowing phase, but I know one of these days I’ll wake up and decide it’s time to do something about it. I’ve already started brainstorming a list of exercises I can do to help me find my personal style and identify which items in my closet I should donate. It will make great content, once I build back some confidence to actually post it!

For my long-time followers, don’t worry—I’m still going to post about cost per wear, and I refuse to become a trend-chaser. But I think my goal will be to slowly replace items in my closet with more classic pieces and try to better define my personal style along the way.

 

Miles of smiles,
Grace

 

Sweater: Hand-me-down | Skirt: Hand-me-down | Boots: Clarks via DSW, $100 ($0.64 per wear), last worn here | Purse: Nordstrom Rack, $50 ($1.67 per wear), last worn here