That Deadwood Vibe...

here's what i used to clothe my nakedness Sunday while hiding out in the house from the 97 degree heat and resting my leg.technically, i suppose it would be categorized as 'loungewear'. frankly, i thought it was too boring to document, but i did as part of the 'outfit DIARY' project.

but when i laid them out, i saw how much even these little clothes look so 'me'. the lace trim and eyelet,the light neutral color, 'victorian' type details grounded by a utilitarian piece (a men's undershirt). it got me thinking about how our personal style is, or is not, reflected in different areas of our lives. i've know women who dress extremely appropriately for their high-powered careers, then spend all weekend in faded sweats. other women look sexy and up-to-the-minute while clubbing, but don't feel they are taken seriously when they wear similar clothing in an office environment. but they've never put any thought into what else to wear.

when i married i moved to a new climate, after living in the same place for most of my life. this resulted in a lot of new situations for which i needed to dress. when i lived in a very mild, foggy climate i relied on layering disparate pieces to create an eclectic look. i was able to style my hair different ways without it being ruined from sweating under the huge hats i suddenly needed for sun protection. when you're doing housework in 85 degrees, the last thing you need is layers of contrasting colors and textures. now i was challenged to project an eclectic style through wearing just a few pieces at any one time.

the difficulty i had in making this transition helped me see the wisdom in getting to know your own personal style in depth. if you have a color palette, library of style details, fabric preferences, and clothing shapes that fit your personal style and physical preferences you are way ahead in filling 'holes' in your wardrobe which turn up. when you move to a new climate, become a parent, retire, or face other big lifestyle changes you will have a much narrower focus when shopping for clothes to fit your new situation. you won't have to start from scratch and will have the knowledge to be able to recognize things that will work quickly, as well as sorting out the 'no-gos'.

spending some time and thought on developing your own personal style 'lookbook', in a journal, scrapbook, or online, is viewed by many as pretty frivolous. but new situations arise in life regularly and unpredictably. doing your homework ahead of changes can help save time and aggravation during times which are likely to be hectic enough as it is. i believe there are many other advantages to developing your knowledge of your own personal style, but this one is the most down right practical.

Tank: jockey
Bloomers: gift

and now, by Reader Request (hi mom!) - the crochet socks from previous post: