So, I haven’t done a monthly work outfit recap in a while; mostly because life happened, and I got out of the habit of it, after which my natural laziness just prevailed. I also feel like my current style evolution being what it is, there is less material to showcase. I am now much more likely to repeat outfits, or outfit formulas, which does not make for particularly interesting blog fodder. I also work from home a lot more often, which means fewer outfits overall. But, really, this is not so much an explanation as an excuse for my laziness, which I plan to continue indulging when it comes to the blog #sorrynotsorry
I decided to make an exception today because April was the first month following my recent epiphany/ paradigm shift regarding personal style, and I was curious to see how that ended up being reflected in my outfits.
I will say that, with the significant uptick in the time I spend on other hobbies these days, outfit planning has taken a huge step down in my list of priorities. I still plan my outfits in advance – simply so I don’t have to think about them in the mornings before I rush off to work – but I spend less time doing so. Overall, I think there is less active creativity involved, but I also feel like the individual clothes are now doing most of the heavy lifting in terms of creating the image/expression that I want. In other words, it’s less about me expressing who I am through the combination of clothes I put together, as much as through the clothes I buy in the first place. Does that make sense?
Anyway, here are my outfits for April:
The most noticeable differences for me are: (1) a much stronger sense of cohesiveness; and (2) All The Pants! There is also a much narrower colour spectrum represented in these outfits, fewer prints, more oatmeal. In fact, the outfits I like best are probably the blandest of all. I would guess that compared to, say, a month from 2016, there would be a pretty stark contrast. I can also see why a lot of people would say that they preferred my old style. Alas, since this is a personal style blog and not a marketing tool, we shall carry on with the current mandate. In the long run, I can see this space becoming less about my outfits and more about other style-adjacent (or not so adjacent) interests of mine. Which, I think, is natural in the scheme of things.
This week marks what would have been the 8-year anniversary of the blog, if I were still keeping track of things like that. That makes it one of the longest relationships of my life, which is pretty cool – especially considering that some of you have been here from the beginning. Thank you for that, by the way. Blogging has been going the way of the dodo for a while now, if you go by what the social media pundits are saying, but it doesn’t actually look to be giving up the ghost any time soon. So who knows what the next 8 years will bring? It’s been an interesting ride so far, and I’m sure it will continue to evolve in newly interesting ways.
Got predictions for the future of blogging? I’d love to hear them. Got requests for stuff you’d like to see on the blog? Let me have those as well 🙂
First of all, congratulations on your 8th anniversary! I haven’t been with you since the beginning but I have read all your archives. My thoughts on blogging are uncertain. I still read my favorites everyday (yours being one of them of course) but I do admit that I have less favorites than I used to. I hope that this is just a slight downturn and blogging will see a resurgence.
As for what I love to read on your blogs, I love the thrifting blogs about hauls, brands, not thrifted etc. I also love posts that include anything about fashion, what you wore, and what you are crafting.
Happy anniversary!
Happy blog-iversary!! 8 years? Wow!
As the above reader suggested, I do enjoy the thrifting posts. I also really like the closet makeovers that you did with other people – it was nice to see a variety of fashion personalities.
Congratulations on your blog-iversary! Long-time reader here. Glad you’re back and blogging regularly.
I especially like hearing your thoughts on brands and their aesthetics and quality. Sometimes I think “Anthro is so overwhelming!” but then I realize that I DO like the aesthetic of certain lines there that you’ve pointed out, and it helps to be able to filter searches that way or thrift accordingly.
I have never had much luck thrifting—not sure if I just don’t have a knack for it or if I’m not looking in the right neighborhoods, but I enjoy living vicariously through your adventures!
As for the future of blogging, I don’t think it’s going anywhere. It may have lost the spotlight to younger, fresher upstarts like Insta stories, but every few years the medium changes. For awhile, it was Facebook. Then Tumblr. Now Instagram. But there’s something to be said for having your own space that YOU own (not Zuckerberg). I think people will start to rediscover the value of that as they get increasingly freaked out by how much their social media platforms know about them.
More of the same I hope. Blogging is becoming routine and yet at the same time totally different for me..
Happy Blogoversary!
I originally came to your blog because your sense of style was fairly similar to my own and I was glad to find another lady in a Professional Office Environment that enjoyed bright colors and floral prints, but I’ve stayed a reader through your style evolution because of your voice. Even though we have less in common, clothes-wise, these days, I still look forward to your posts because I like to read what you write! And I enjoy the non-fashion/style posts too!
8th anniversary? Congratulations! I only discovered your blog past the halfway point of the time you’ve had it, but even then, it’s been nearly four years, i.e. longer than it takes to get a law degree in the US! That’s pretty crazy to think about.
I’ve thought for years now (even as I started my blog knowing this) that blogging was a kind of dead format. Even so, it was so important to my formative years that I think I’ll just keep at it anyway. More recently, I think I’ve become more sure that there will always be a niche for blogs, even if it’s smaller and generally can’t hope to grow as much. I think the way that algorithm changes make Instagram, Youtube, or other platforms, more difficult means that people are well-served by maintaining their own internet space, whether on a blog or website. I guess with the internet, the only thing that remains constant is that things change fast!
Happy blog-iversary! And just to throw in my two cents, I definitely prefer your new/current style!
I love reading anything you write, so I’m just thrilled that you’re around and still posting here. I originally came here while trying to upgrade my office style to be more professional, but I enjoy all your posts. I do particularly enjoy your book reviews and thoughts on internet trends or articles!
Congratulations! I’ve been reading for a number of years, for reasons similar to what Gabby posted above. I like reading your thrifting posts, thoughts on style/identity, and book/tv recs!