Monday, July 11, 2011

"Visible Monday Monday.....So Good To Me...."





I've had some epiphanies lately regarding many things, but also my style.  This is what I wore to take two of my kids to lunch on Friday.  Originally, I was going to wear the Target dress, belted and with my new Lela Rose Shoes (could you please pick up that name I just dropped!) that I scored for $10 on eBay.  But to be honest, this dress belted came about 2-3 inches above my knee.  Add super high heels like these and call Turner because you just found HOOCH! (Age identifying 80s reference!)  I mean I felt like a serious Hoochie Momma in that outfit....especially going shopping with my kids.  Maybe if I were going on a date with my husband, I would feel differently.  It was momentarily frustrating, because I see all these gorgeous women rocking the heels and shorts or heels and short skirts.  And it looks so NORMAL on them, but when I put it on NORMAL is the last thing I feel.  So my epiphany was this...I have to be ME.  Going out of my comfort zone is one thing and is absolutely the RIGHT thing to do, as long as the end of that is that I feel like ME in a way I didn't think that I would. 

Anyone who had seen me in just the dress and these great shoes might have said, "C'mon Serene!  Don't be such a prude!  You look great!" and it wasn't about not looking good.  It LOOKED good, but didn't FEEL good.  So I unbuttoned the dress, added a white skirt, white t-shirt and brown belt and then......BINGO!  Good-bye Hooch!!!  Hello Serene!  I created a little bit of a fashion guideline for myself.  This Target dress belted is great with the length as long as I wear a cute little flat shoe with it.  But when it comes to the heels, I'm saving those for knee length dresses or skirts.  I know it LOOKS good either way.  But as I keep saying, More important than how your clothes make you look is how you FEEL in them.  In this revised outfit, I FELT ladylike and elegant and still a bit funky.  At the end of the day, I hope that describes me too!

By the way, I'm including this post in Not Dead Yet Style's Visible Monday!  Be sure to check out Patti's blog!  She's gorgeous, fun and an all around girls' girl!

11 comments:

  1. I love the way you styled this and I understand what you are saying about the feel. There are some tops I will not teach in, because they feel immodest...in the world, they may not be, but I have to feel right around my teenagers. This whole outfit is great!
    I had a senior moment and forgot about VISIBLE MONDAY...I need to find a way to remember...I really do want to participate!! Come on over and tell me what you think about my new style system!

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  2. I've seen this dress around and it's definitely styled your wway.You are right when you say an outfit has to feel good and not only look good.The shoes are once again great. You seem like a nice happy family as you all smile in the last photo on the blog. They seem to be really nice children,well i mean teenagers.

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  3. I love the way you styled this, Serene, you made it your own. You are so right, we have to *feel* great in our clothes if we are going to look great. And you look fantastic!

    Thanks for participating in visible Monday too. xoxoxo - Patti

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  4. I know this is off-topic, but OMG, your kids are so adorable! :)

    I love this outfit. It's so creative how you manipulated all of the elements to get a look that felt right. And I agree with you 100 percent. Pushing your style boundaries is good, but at the end of the day, you have to feel that you are comfortably YOU. If you don't, it's not working. Love it!

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  5. Did you just use a dress over a skirt/top? Who thinks of that?!?! That's awesome! I'm following you - can't wait to see what you do next!

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  6. You look fantastic, and so do you childres, so happy!!!
    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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  7. I love that you reworked this so YOU feel good in it. That's what it's all about! I think it looks great, especially with your shoes, which were a total score.

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  8. I think shorter lengths are a challenge. I know a year ago when I actually wore one to work I was initially very self-conscious and then, other women my age began to compliment the outfit. It can be aging to start hiding ourselves unnecessarily before our time.

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  9. SHIT THE FRONT DOOR! Serene you look amazing in this! I never would have guessed you wore a dress over another dress! :)

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  10. Love that dress as a jacket!! So clever and so chic!!

    ~Meghan

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  11. I love the dress-as-jacket! Much more interesting than as a dress, I bet!

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Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! ~Serene