“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
– Neale Donald Walsch
They say it’s hardest to see what is right in front of you.
We ourselves did not see how much our sense of style was growing and evolving until we looked back at the photographs from some of our first shoots.
Our style is nearly unrecognizable from even a year ago, and that’s pretty incredible.
Until just a couple months ago, I was stuck in a phase for a long time where I only liked neutrals and basics. They worked, and I knew they looked chic, so it was difficult to break out of that mold. I turned to neutrals because before that, I didn’t really have a ‘style.’ I chose clothes on a whim without thinking about how they would fit in with the rest of my wardrobe. I kind of collected an assortment of pretty clothes with no idea as to what my sense of style was supposed to be.
I’ve loved fashion for my entire life, but it’s taken me almost my entire life thus far to truly figure out my identity in it.
I think everyone goes through those phases in their chosen craft: trying out a whole bunch of random things to see what ‘clicks’, narrowing down those choices in an attempt to make everything appear cohesive, and finally, cultivating some originality and through that, branching out and trying things that are bold and risky.
If you had told me even a year ago that I would be fawning over a floral, embroidered mesh top, I probably would have laughed. I would have never bought this top a year ago because the old me would have thought it was too flashy. But the new me wants to wear it literally every single day.
-S
People are afraid of being bold in their choices because they’re scared that other people may not like those choices. They’re afraid of indulging in the edgier sides of their passions for fear of what other people might think.
We used to be those people.
We used to care what comments people made, or didn’t make, but thought to themselves.
Yet, we’re a lot happier now that we honestly don’t give a damn what other people think of us or our outfits.
I knew what I was supposed to do, but I didn’t know how I was going to do it.
I was scared.
For so long, I wrestled with what my major was going to be. I tried out environmental science and journalism at first, in an attempt to be “practical,” and then turned to digital filmmaking because it seemed like a good compromise between practicality and artistry. I liked them all, but none of them ever lit a fire inside of me.
It was time to be bold and do what I was meant to do– the arts.
I jumped in headfirst and took four art classes this semester, and they have opened my eyes as a creator. When I see a garment hanging on a rack at Goodwill, my mind races through the different ways I could reinvent it to make it fresh and stylish, and my heart races with anticipation to get to work on it. I don’t think I could have (or would have) done that with an environmental science degree.
In art, we are always looking for a way to communicate a message through colors, emotion, and lines– and that describes fashion to a tee. When I was bold in my decision to go after my passion and my craft, I became more myself than ever. And my style reflected that as I began to purchase daring pieces. As I became more adventurous in my art, I also became fearless in my style. I would have never worn a mesh top and overalls even just a few months ago!
So, take that job, move to L.A., wear that dress. Be courageous and go after your desires.
Making bold choices is obviously a risk, and sometimes it doesn’t pay off.
Just yesterday, we were talking about how we would like to scrap/change some of the old outfits we’ve worn for shoots! Disliking some the chances you took is part of it. If you don’t take those chances, you are never going to end up with something that takes your breath away. You have to be willing to be bold and put yourself out there if you ever want to get past a plateau.
For us, that plateau was sticking to fashion that was safe.
For you, it might be grinding away at the same sales job without ever actually increasing your commission, or yielding the same results from a research experiment over and over again. If you’re stuck somewhere like that, know that you don’t have to be there forever.
You just have to try something new, or even think about something old in a new way. Change is hard and change is messy, but change is worth it. Step out of your comfort zone, and you would not believe the incredible things you can achieve.
“Enjoy being bold, and if that is scary at first, marvel at your ability to walk through fear.”-Rivka Solomon
I was six years old when that happened to me,and obviously I didn’t think about the “appropriateness” of the length(it went to mid-thigh, by the way). I wore it because I loved it and it never crossed my mind that was inappropriate for school(it wasn’t).
This realization came after I went to college and was allowed to live–and dress–as I pleased. Its no coincidence that having creative freedom allowed me to explore and accept my true self. I can wear pajamas or a cocktail dress to class if I want to (I don’t), but knowing that I am free–and encouraged–to be myself has given me the confidence to fully express who I am,no matter the situation. I’m proud of myself and my body,and I think I probably would have gained that confidence sooner had I not been subject to a strict set of ridiculous rules when I was growing up.
This is exactly why we purchase clothing from Goodwill and transform those unappealing, outdated pieces into new ones that are fresh and stylish.
There truly is value found in being open to clothing that is both new and gently used. Both types of fashion can be stunning, so we often mix our hidden gems from Goodwill with designer pieces from Dillard’s. As Sabrina says, just because something is expensive, it doesn’t mean it’s beautiful, and just because something is dirt cheap, it doesn’t mean it isn’t!
Models honestly do not get enough credit for what they do.
Ensemble of Elan 