Skargorn tee | $60 at Madewell (I’m wearing a small)
James Perse ruched pencil skirt | sold out – the melange drawstring skirt is similar
3.1 Phillip Lim Ryder Satchel | $1050 at Forzieri
Robert Clergerie Pepo Sandals | $246 at 6pm.com
Lizzie Fortunato jewels necklace | no longer available
RMS Beauty un-concealer | I’ve been using this a lot more lately and I really love it.
This Skargorn top is so huge; I love it generally, but even the small is big on me, so it’s tough to balance. I thought I could pair it nicely with a slim skirt, but I think it’s better with skinny jeans, or even leggings (I wore it over the weekend with leggings over a Splendid layers tank).
Anyway, balance is the story of my life right now: trying to find it, trying to CREATE it where it hasn’t ever been before, and then learning to live with it. I am tired of living from one extreme to the other more often than not. Although finding balance in my outfits (in terms of shape/size/etc.) is significantly less important than finding it in my life, it’s representative in some way, no? I think so. What I wear and how I choose to express myself is always representative of what’s going on inside…
Here’s to a great week ahead 🙂
Hi there, This is my first post to you! I have been following you for a while on Grechen’s Closet and I look forward to your daily posts. You have helped me refine my look in so many ways. I was the print, bling, trend girl and desperately needed to integrate some staples into my wardrobe. I now own white t-shirts, a black maxi skirt, black pants and a black blazer that I can wear with all my other pieces. Believe it or not, (you may want to sit down), I did not own a white T-shirt before. Yes, that’s right, not a one. Or a pair of black pants! Or any pants/slacks other than jeans and a trendy pair of wool trousers from Anthro. So thank you for that!
To comment on the above outfit, I think that shirt is way, way too big and does not do your shape justice. I am amazed at how great your figure is when you occasionally wear a fitted piece, like the Anthro striped tiered dress a week or so back. Or those Old Navy compression leggings. You were tiny in those. You have worked hard on yourself and earned a GREAT body! But that is a learning process also just like weight loss and maintenence is.
Thank you again Grechen! I look forward to seeing you in your email tomorrow! I feel like you are an old friend that I have the luxury of seeing every day!
You made a really thought-provoking comment at the end: ” What I wear and how I choose to express myself is always representative of what’s going on inside…”
I have to think about this, and what it means to me and I’ll get back to you, Grechen!
hi juli!! thanks so much for your comment. and yeah, you shocked me by saying that you didn’t own not even ONE white t-shirt!! although it shouldn’t shock me that much, i have a friend who doesn’t own/wouldn’t wear a white tee.
and you’re right about the outfit – i think that’s also what i meant about balance here: finding the balance between what just FEELS SO GOOD, and what looks “BEST” on you. i know that a lot of what i wear isn’t THE MOST flattering on me, but i wear it anyway because it’s easy, and comfortable, and i THINK still looks okay and interesting. i do struggle a lot still with showing my body because ironically, i want to wear looser things more often now. i don’t know why.
haha! homework 🙂
i’m not even exactly sure what i meant by that, except that maybe some days i don’t want to “make the effort” to wear something that shows my body, or really flatters me; i just want to hide it all. sometimes that means i don’t care, other times that means that i’m feeling insecure…
Another great post Grechen, I love thinking about balance and how fashion is also symbolic of balance.
I am constantly thinking about how what we represents us and what it says about identities.
My students are getting ready to read a few articles on fashion and identity and I may have them explore fashion blogs to think about this.
You look great. But I never wear white shirts but often will wear white skirts/jeans etc…
This is because I am an apple so I almost only wear black/grey/navy on top but will wear white/fuschia/yellow on bottom…I guess that’s my way of finding balance!
I own one white t-shirt that I never wear, because I just don’t like the way white looks on me. I don’t own any white shirts either, which are usually considered a wardrobe staple…
thanks farha! what do you teach? i think having students look at fashion blogs for more insight into fashion & identity would be very interesting. i wonder what they would take from that? i wonder if there’s any way to truly find a connection though? because how can you ever know for sure what is genuine and what is “posed”? and does that even matter? whoa…i’m starting to feel like i’m in grad school again thinking about all the possibilities 🙂
my mom won’t wear white (it’s not one of her “colors”) – and as i mentioned before, i have a friend who doesn’t wear white tees. i guess it’s not as un-common as i thought! i just happen to like white against my face. i also like black, and gray 😉
I am a professor of Sociology, but this semester I am teaching a class on Paris and diversity and taking 10 students there in January. I split the class into 3 parts: history/immigration/racism/diversity, then fashion and identity and we end with food and culture.
For our fashion unit they are are reading on identity, status and French fashion.
I think by looking at blogs they can do some content analysis on identity.
They can also look at themes of diversity/body image etc. They also learn to look at magazines for themes related to fashion and the body. This is a brand new class so we’ll see how it goes!
uh, can i audit your class?? that sounds awesome!! love the content and the ideas surrounding it.
in my previous life i wanted to be a political science professor. i was well on my way and then THIS came along LOL…
I think fashion is much more fun than academia!