By Erika, Fashion Expert
Four weeks under my belt in this challenge.
I said at the beginning that this would be all about transparency. So many times we admire what we see on social media or the lives we imagine people are living. And we forget that they are just photographs. Moments in time. The best 10% of people’s lives. The highlight reel compared to the reality show of our lives. The fact of the matter is that every day we put on clothing and get dressed and face all sorts of troubles.
So here is my moment of transparency. If I’m honest, this past week was incredibly difficult. I was on the road for work this week which began with its own set of frustrating challenges. While I was away I had a close family member be admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. And, upon my return, I spent the day at a different hospital where a friend to both me and my fiancé passed away under the most tragic of circumstances. Simply put, it was a week. And this week, more than any other thus far in the challenge, it think my fashion most accurately reflected – or completely hid – my mood. So, what three things did I learn this week?
- People have strong opinions about what I wear. I heard from more than a few people that my wardrobe this week was “too dark” or needed “more color.” What I thought would be an exercise in sharing my daily attire has turned into a bit of a social experiment with people weighing in on what my wardrobe needs more of and even a few folks emulating my looks. Not what I expected but a pleasant surprise, for the most part.
- Style uniforms come in handy. I’ve said for as long as I’ve had this blog (and Instagram) that my style uniform begins with jeans and a white t-shirt or that it is generally something black, white or cream. This week, that uniform came in handy. It may feel like the world stopped but, in reality, it didn’t. So having a style uniform made picking clothes easy when it was the last thing I wanted to focus on some days.
- A great leather jacket might be the most important wardrobe staple I own. Meditate on that.
And now, for this week’s looks (in reverse order, for some reason):
