The Fringe Skirt

Lately, I've been making more of an effort to explore my sense of style (or lack thereof!).
Growing up, I guess I told myself that if I cared too much about my clothes and appearance that I would come off as if wasn't smart and more materialistic instead. But as I'm growing up I'm realizing that just because you care about your outward appearance, doesn't have to mean that it's all you care about in life. I'm finding that it's actually quiet the contrary. People in general who tend to spend a little more time on their outward appearance have more of a presence out in the world. Other people are more willing to listen to what they have to say because they "look" the part. And that your outward appearance has a lot to do with your beauty and self-confidence on the inside. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the pendulum can swing to both sides of the extreme too, but life is all about balance! And if spending a little extra time on how you look on the outside makes your feel better and happier on the inside, then you're definitely smart to do so in my book! :)

And last month, I picked up this cute skirt from H&M. I was excited when I first saw it in the store! I didn't have anything like it in my closet. I wouldn't say my style is totally boring... ok, maybe borderline... but I'm trying to make more of an effort these days. Anyways, I bought the skirt home and then it laid in the corner of my closet for weeks! Every time I looked at it I just remember thinking "I can't pull that of! It's not me... what was I thinking?" I have items in my closet right now that I loved in the store, but never actually ended up wearing. I was too scared of what people would think as I mentioned above. I was too concerned about all the wrong things! It's just clothes for crying out loud! And if it makes me happy to try something new... I should!

However, I had literally made up my mind to return it the next day and then I saw this post on PPF. It was my skirt! I loved how Kimberly styled it and gave it a little more of an edgier yet relaxed look. I would have never thought to pair it with a jean jacket and those shoes! That's what I love about blogs, pinterest, and instagram... inspiration is just a click away and you never know who will inspire you to think outside the box next!

I've been following Kimberly from PPF for well over a year now. I love her sense of style and she is so good at making affordable pieces look like a million bucks! I always feel as if I'm looking at a catalog of some expensive brand and then pleasantly surprised to find that... hey, I can actually afford that! Plus, she seems like a genuinely sweet person and it's definitely shows through some of her more personal posts.

One of my resolutions for 2015 was not to spend money on clothes that I know I am not going to wear, but love the "idea of wearing it someday". Or go crazy and buy everything that's on sale just because I feel like I'm getting a great deal. I'm not very good with being creative on the fly, so I've been using Polyvore to help me explore my "style". When I buy a new item I add it to my "Spring Capsule" on Polyvore and play with different ideas on how I'd style it. It's great because these exact pieces or something very similar to these pieces in my closet currently. So I don't have to spend money on buying additional items to complete the look. Might sound a little time consuming for some people, but it's become a fun little hobby for me. Plus, it's helping me make better decisions when shopping and budgeting my money on clothes.

I decided that I was only allowed to keep the skirt if I would for sure wear it at least three different ways. Now, I know 3 of the outfits have similar white tops, but I cheated and still counted them as three different "safe" looks. I'm really not sure if I could pull of this skirt with converses but I'd like to think I'm "cool like that"! ;) And in case I'm really not... I gave myself my everyday safe shoes, the pointed toe flats as options! :)

I ended up wearing this look out last week when we went out for dinner with friends. I was venturing out of my safety zone and it was actually nice for a change! I'm glad Kimberly inspired me to keep the skirt and gave me a little push to "pull it off" in my own way. I wore it with a white cami (#2 top row) and added the black blazer... I know, not too adventurous... but I do plan on wearing it with a chambray shirt or a gray tee next time... maybe for brunch?!

Looks like this post got a little too long... 

Do you have items in your closet you loved at first, but then felt too self conscious to wear?