3.26.2012

outfitting a change

as you may have heard about in my reaganing post last week, and in select regional news outlets, i decided to act like a grown up and wear my hair down and dress like a human lady starting in this my 30th year.

last week i blow dried my hair twice which led to it being worn down all 7 days (with a healthy dose of dry shampoo to get me through that 3rd day before a wash) and i wore outfits 800% more presentable than i usually do on 6 of 7 days last week (i work from home on mondays and will never be impelled to even wear a bra on these days...such is my birthright).

i made jesse take pictures to document my outfits daily after work. there are only 5 pictures because i did laundry and wore one of these outfits twice. blammo.

hey, risky business, your fly is open, hotshot.

you might think this is dressed down and looking slouchier than most of the population, but believe me when i say this moves me up like 3 caste levels from where i usually reside (which hovers just above a hurricane survivor being interviewed on live TV and just below celebrities caught in walk-of-shame photos in tabloids).

i wouldnt usually bare my ultra white-purple legs this when they have seen nary a photon this season, but i decided to get over my pale-shame. i am skin-cancer free and i sleep with a mega hot man every night, so yeah, i'll just be happy where i am and not bake melanoma into my flesh in the name of impressing my crazy vagina-brain and people who might be turned off by it (none of whom even snuggle me at night).

getting a few new things from loft instead of on clearance at old navy or target was a little bit more expensive, but i am really seeing it as an investment. by not buying crap clothes that will wear out in a year just because, "hey, this shirt is $6!," and instead putting my money into quality-made pieces that will last for years. the 3 loft things i owned before last weekend, i have had for at least 4 years. the average age of my cheaper finds is about 6 months until they just make me sad and go to goodwill. i am tired of living like that and i see it as crappier stewardship of my meager clothes budget than getting one $40 top a month. (and dont worry, i will continue to shop at both target and old navy, because they are awesome, but i will do it with more intention to longevity and quality).

so at the end of week one, i declare this experiment a smashing success. i spent approximately 11 extra minutes a day on my appearance and harvested hours worth of self esteem from it. i am truly surprised by how much energy, positive vibes and self-confidence came from taking a tiny bit better care of myself every day. this translated into being a better employee, citizen, parent, wife and --dare i say it--lover. nope, no, i dont dare say that because that word is creepster and eats my soul. (but seriously ladies...).

fashion: it's not just for the rich, hot or superficial anymore. it's for me!

17 comments:

  1. Adorable! I love it. I think all of the outfits are fabulous and your hair looks great and I must go purchase this dry shampoo you speak of.

    (I read but almost never comment because, well, I don't know.)
    (Found you from Raechel's blog)
    (Not that you asked)
    (Going now)

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  2. you are hilarious!!! and the outfits look so good, the blue dress + orange cardigan is my favorite

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  3. @ jenny. thanks for commenting and masterful use of multiple parentheses. a girl by my own heart (i use them too). i have tried a few brands of dry shampoo and my fave so far is dove. i got mine at target for $4. its much more effective for me than the slightly cheaper tresseme brand i bought.

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  4. @eliz yay! that one was made entirely of things i already owned but was too chicken to wear. the dress is made of umbro-ish material and sometimes gets static-y in an intimate way that prevents me from bending over past a 175 degree angle.

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  5. You do indeed look smashing and classy ... LOFT is my fave store ... plus they size their stuff ridiculous so I can lie and say I am smaller than I really am --- I'll allow lies like that. Hair down is truly an effort and I am full on clapping for you. I am 40% baseball hat, 40% pony-tail and 20% hair down this time of year ... once the true humidity arrives to this Caribbean island, forget it ... no more hair down till December. You are a gorgeous babe. Work it, own it.

    hugs-
    T.

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  6. Stacey and Clinton would be proud! BTW love the red pants!!!!! Get it hot mama!

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  7. fabulous, all of them!! my favity-fave is the red (coral?) pants...need i remind you of some coral capris you once judged so harshly...hahahahaha! and the dress/cami is something i SO wish i could pull off but i HATE my knees and don't ever want myself or anyone else to see them. p.s. you and i are skin twins. i call it raw-turkey chic.

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  8. @ tara, DAMMIT! i didnt know that about loft and was feeling awesome about losing many sizes with not effort! and i have mentally kudo'd you in the past for EVER wearing your hair down in haiti. you get an all-time pass.

    @ marisa, thank you! you are my pale fashion inspiration and have always made it look easy

    @ merran. ahahaha they are red. did i judge those coral cargo capris? i definitely remember them, but dont remember judgement...though it is utterly possible. we are SO poultry-fab.

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  9. love the outfits - especially the blue dress with belt (very fashiony) and the layered cream(?) shirt! Makes me what to go shopping for something besides running clothes and pjs. and your hair looks great. definitely a shopping success! I think we just have to own the fair skin...i love what merran called it! I went back to my natural brown hair a couple of weeks ago, and then saw pictures of it this weekend. I told my jesse that the darker hair made me look paler...he said "no, being so pale is what makes you look paler." awesome. easy to judge when you have beautiful filipino coloring!

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  10. You are growing up so fast, Keight! And looking smokin' hot if I may say so myself!

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  11. I don't think any of these outfits even remotely look slouchy in the real world... bravo. Hair down is quite the feat for me too. Now I feel the need to go take a shower, at least.

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  12. oh man i'm laughing so hard at jesse's comment to lacey...i, too, can embrace the pale...what i cannot embrace are the cankels...these my friends, are why i only wear pants. heheh but we'll see...k8, you look amazing, as usual...gorgeousness...

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  13. @ lacey hahaha that is brutal. i get no sympathy from my native american tna-man either. but then again, he thinks pale is cool since he's so not. the layered cream shirt is my FAVORITE new purchase of all!

    @ lindsey, you know your hot blondes, so you may say so! :)

    @krulls forget the shower. dry shampoo, baby.

    @ tiff OMG! have i never seen you in anything but pants?!?! sneaky! how do you survive GA summer?

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  14. keight. you are HAWT.
    that's all.
    well not really. i want to see more of your beautiful face on YOUR blog!
    OK. that is really all.

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  15. my favorites: red pants, hot navy dress, pink(ish) cardigan. oh, and the belt! Keight Dukes, you stunner, you!

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  16. You look amazing! Love the navy dress!

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  17. STOP the fab. And those poses?! Teach me your ways. Love the outfits, and love love that the extra little effort makes you feel so great. xo!

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