New Year's Eve's New Look
Lying in bed on the last morning of 2015, I pondered my closet and the tired old frocks and cardigans I've been wearing for the better part of the last decade. My mind wandered over my usual New Year's Eve ensembles-- the 40s peplums with sequins and beads, the respectable little black dresses, the sparkly boleros... and felt wholly uninspired.
Earlier in the week, I had listened to my hair stylist gush about the fantastic vintage dress she planned to wear to ring in the New Year. As she rinsed my hair, she described the fringe, the beads and the surprising flattering way the dress fit-- like it was meant to be. I didn't realize it then, but hearing her talk was like listening to myself describe clothes that I love; I only then realized it had been a very long time since I described anything with that sort of enthusiasm.
I'm not exactly sure at what point during my pondering my mind turned to the Chinese brocade dressing gown that has been hanging on my closet door for ages, but once it did, I was off and running-- planning, scheming and pulling together an unlikely outfit for an eventful New Year's Eve.
Suddenly, that spark, that long-lost enthusiasm, had returned, and it felt good!
Is this the end of my fashion rut?
Maybe not, but boy it sure felt wonderful to break away from the safe and increasingly frumpy seeming wardrobe I've been embracing for years now.
2015 was a year of fashion aimlessness for me, beginning with the cropped haircut that set me drifting away from comfortable mooring in familiar fashion harbors. Since then I've been entirely adrift, purging my closet, embracing my curls and, ultimately, though I didn't realize it until now, looking for that spark that has always made me love getting dressed.
The search for the spark continues in 2016, but here's hoping it's a little less aimless and a bit more fruitful.
Outfit Details
Chinese brocade dressing gown-- Goodwill
Black lace slip dress-- Heavy Red
Tights-- Angelina ballet tights via Amazon
Shoes-- Aerosoles Railroad Pump
Belt-- TJ Maxx
Vintage bracelet and ring-- gifts, read more here
Necklaces-- Claire's
Bow brooch-- Salvation Army
Lip color-- Besamé Merlot
High school me would be proud of this outfit as it includes many pieces from my creepy kid days, including the really lovely slip dress, and has the general aesthetic I was always aiming for but could never achieve at eighteen. Ah, what a decade does for outfit (and hair) styling abilities.
Speaking of hair, I'm enjoying exploring the messier side of my curls. While I love the precision and consistency of curler-set or pin-set curls, I'm loving the adventure that comes with each shower with my natural curls-- each curl, wave, and coil has a mind of its own. It has also been quite liberating not trying to get my hair to "fit" into any particular style or era, instead it just does what it does and I'm learning that can be pretty awesome.
So here's to the new year, to inspiration, and to that spark that makes life a little more fun.
As always....
